Letter to the Editor
Editor,
The news of the downtown FOODLAND store closing in August is devastating to all residents who have chosen to live in this beautiful town where they are able to do their shopping LOCALLY and without use of motorized vehicles. It must be obvious to corporate SOBEYS and our Town politicians that seniors and handicapped customers make up a large part of the FOODLAND customers.
The closing statement by SOBEY Communications Manager Vicki Leung, is the usual corporate bafflegab. It is not clear WHY the store is being closed, other than the assumption that the new FOODLAND store in Thornbury does not like another FOODLAND as close as Meaford.
The fact that the owner was described in your article as being devastated by the news of the closing might indicate several things which should be followed up by our Mayor and Council.
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The Decision to close this store was a CORPORATE decision without consideration of the PUBLIC interest.
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There is no mention that this store was not profitable.
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As the CORPORATE owner of a vital part of downtown Meaford, is there no ethical consideration of the effect this closing will have on the Town of Meaford and their loyal customer base?
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WHERE or HOW does CSR ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’ fit into the picture?
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Was Town Council advised by SOBEYS of this decision and/or were they offering solutions, knowing full well the impact this will have on the future of Meaford?
Checking on the internet shows that SOBEYS is a subsidiary of EMPIRE Company Limited. This company has a statement on Corporate Responsibility which reads as follows:
SUPPORTING OUR COMMUNITIES
We continue to work together to make a difference and improve quality of life in the hundreds of Canadian communities we serve from coast to coast. We believe a commitment to community is fundamental to sustaining our success and we encourage our employees , franchisees and affiliates to participate in enhancing the well-being of the communities in which they live and work.
Apparently the application of this statement got lost somewhere in the Meaford Foodland case.
I remember some 20 years ago, when the downtown Durham food store was closed and the effect it had on the business section of Durham. Gradually, stores closed and stood empty, restaurants lost their customers, and today in among the empty store fronts, two used clothing stores opened, as well as a used furniture venture. Together with the loss of INTERFOREST, the Town of Durham is only a shadow of its former self.
We cannot let this happen to Meaford.
Instead of Meaford Council casually accepting closure of this FOODLAND store, I would have expected them to pull out all the stops to retain a food retailer at this location. I would expect my Town Council to get up on their hind feet and raise Cain wherever possible.
I would expect them to light a fire under the feet of our MPP and MP, the governments that create the rules and laws that make this type of corporate behaviour possible.
As CITIZENS of this great country, we have our freedom and our RIGHTS. BUT neither Freedom or Right come without RESPONSIBILITY. This not only applies to me as a private citizen, but even more so to SOBEYS or EMPIRE CO. as Corporate CITIZENS. We need to work TOGETHER, to keep our communities viable.
We need to be told the reason for this closure, so that we as individual citizens and our politicians, local, provincial, and federal can assess what we can do to reverse this devastating situation.
The comment by our Deputy Mayor to locate our library at this location is disappointing. Is there no fight left in our local government??
If our politicians just roll over and accept corporate decisions that are not in a community’s best interest, why have government at all? Leave all decision-making in the hands of the gurus on Bay and Wall Streets? No thanks.
Sincerely,
Karl Braeker, Meaford
