Wrong target

Dear editor:
For the past few weeks, I have been reading negative letters and articles concerning the prospect of Wal-Mart coming to Fort Frances. While some of the writers do have legitimate concerns, I have noticed they often live in areas where they have diverse shopping and access to Wal-Mart.
I, for one, would love to see Wal-Mart arrive here. I know there are others who feel the same because I have run into them in Wal-Mart in Dryden, Thunder Bay, and Hibbing.
There are some good things about Wal-Mart that have never been mentioned. They attempt to schedule employees to be home when their children arrive from school, if necessary, and they have an employee stock program that has saved Christmas for a couple of university student employees I know–and likely countless other lower income parents, as well.
Having lived in Fort Frances most of my life, I can say shopping here can be frustrating. There is very limited selection and often unfair pricing. Having said that, there are certain things I will never purchase from a Wal-Mart (i.e., prescriptions and big-ticket item such as stereos). The reason for this is because the businesses I have dealt with over the years provide such good service.
I believe local business owners can remain competitive by providing efficient, friendly service. I will continue to support local businesses that do provide this.
Contrary to some of your readers’ positions, I feel that instead of targeting Wal-Mart for employing people at meagre wages in Third World countries, their time would be better spent targeting our governments (both Canadian and American) for allowing imported goods to completely saturate the market.
Consumer education also is helpful, but to target a company because they have incredible vision and are willing to take the necessary risks to be very successful is unfair. Attack the root instead of the leaves.
One reader cites the fact that Wal-Mart profits do not stay in the community. Many Fort Frances residents, if not most, go to another centre to do much of their shopping or turn to a catalogue, therefore the money isn’t staying in the community anyhow.
Roughly three or four times a year, I make a trip to a Wal-Mart. When I go, I am armed with my list. When I return home, I start my list for my next trip or turn to the Internet.
It would be great to be able to shop in Fort Frances for what we need at a fair price instead of having the inconvenience of leaving town.
One reader mentioned the block the old high is on as an appropriate site for a Wal-Mart. The same reader has concerns about traffic difficulties if Wal-Mart is built in the west end. It appears to me you would have many more traffic/parking problems if Wal-Mart was built on that block (how quickly we forget the traffic chaos we had there when the school was open).
As well, that particular site would greatly limit the size of store Wal-Mart could build.
I would love to see town council work with Wal-Mart to build a good-sized store here despite the fact they are not perfect. Thanks for your time and once again, target government, not Wal-Mart!
Sincerely,
Cindy Mounk
Fort Frances, Ont.