With "Wal-Mart" being here would give our community a sense of growth and tourist a reason to stay, besides asking what is there to do. I know there are "tours" to enjoy the scenery but we have so little in the way of year round recreation and Yarmouth "should not" always depend on the "tourist season" to help generate revenue and "government" to pick up the slack for helping hands. One day one has to "work" to make growth happen. Yarmouth needs to grow and it needs a reason for tourist to stay and shop with familar shops as well. One thing I do "know", they do ask, if there are shopping malls here. What do you say..."yeah, we have a little mall and small shops?"...so be the truth, but so little to offer that no wonder they go to "Halifax"...now isn't that something to be proud of to have tourist "skip" Yarmouth on their drive through and go straight to Halifax where their is more "life" to do and see?

YES, tourist do find it "refreshing" to be where it is quiet...but guess what...their is "quiet" elsewhere as well, including the states! Yarmouth is "different" in it's own right, unique and so are other communities. People do want to "Have Fun" and something to say" Yarmouth is a great place not only to relax but to have fun". And YES, some do come back, in fact a number of them do...but guess what...COUNCIL has to count on the fact of "living" is "bringing on changes" with "high gas prices", "OUR TAXES", and "LOW WAGES" is NOT helping our "own" to move around or spend within the PROVINCES. So for Yarmouth, even if you "keep" our community studded...our growth depends on, believe it or not "BUSINESSES" not just tourist ( and our tourist count is down this year, and it will continue to do that with the gas prices and the concern of what happened with 9-11)

Even when K-MART  was in Yarmouth, it did not hurt small business...people have "Their favorites". Yarmouth as it is now have resturants, car dealer ships, take out centres, hardware stores and garages a plenty...just how many do you need for a small town of about 7500? And some resturarnts are not doing all that great. Things have "slowed down big time".  We need more shops to stimulate "difference" (growth & jobs)... a reason to have something "DIFFERENT" and "SHOULD HAVE THAT DIFFERENCE". 

It's what the "PEOPLE" want...not what the "town counsilors want. I thought the "PEOPLE"  counted. Hey, take a vote and I'm willing to bet, more WANT  "Wal-Mart" than not ! I know. You listen and you hear people getting excited about wanting something new...big or not ! Yarmouth needs it.

I am not only a citizen (mother/parent),  but also connected with the tourist. Yes, we have  "older" travelers, but really, we need to cater to the up coming "younger, growing generation. They need a reason to stay home, that is not a new "cry", that is "fact"...NO ONE IS LISTENING !!!

I don't feel like having to drive away to shop ,that is a "favorite" of many, it's costs to much !  (Besides which, that money "OUT  OF YARMOUTH"  (Yarmouth's loss) ! 

 Bring on Wal-Mart, it's what the Yarmouth Counties WANT..Listen to Them ! Hear their cry for JOBS !

I listen, I hear, but no councilor(s) is listening???

One Yarmouth County Citizen,
L. LeBlanc 

Comment#2

It's good to see the "construction" finally on the "going ahead" side of things with Walmart. Time will tell if this is a good thing for Yarmouth or not. I'm all for Yarmouth growing, it needs it. The people have "their favourites" for shopping, and are looking forward to having Walmart here. A "different" store to shop at would be a good change.  Who knows maybe this present growth is all Yarmouth needs for now. Just enough to "satisfy". At least we know there is always room for expansion. 
As for the liquor store moving. Why not? They did put money into improving the looks of their store (not sure why they bothered), however, the issue being, it really isn't part of the "office businesses" the downtown is so largely made up of. I know not many tourist head straight to the liquor store first thing off the boats. The tourist are surprised to see that there aren't more shopping stores, but than again, if the "idea" is to attract for "tourist shops" than Yarmouth has it, and plenty of choices to eat and sleep (and still have their drinks to). 

What more can anyone ask for? Some kind of action activities year around for outsiders(and locals) to have fun things to do and good memories to boot other than bars and gambling... what an idea (pehaps a big family park activities of slides, roller coasters, etc. Just an example). More room for job growth of something different.  Who amongst us has any great ideas for that kind of challenge or some other  ideas?  Bring on the jobs and people! Need I say anymore. 

L. Thibeau 

Comment#3
 

You DON'T want a Wal-Mart - here's why:
 
I encourage anyone who hasn't to do a little digging (there's all sorts of stuff Online). The company is so huge it's mind boggling and they are doing all sorts of things that they never did when they started out (I think 'ol Sam is rolling in his grave).  Nearly everything was American made. In fact, that was their mantra the first several years. What they do now is treat their workers like crap, and treat suppliers/manufacturers like crap - getting them to cheapen their products and forcing them to pay slave-wages to their workers (hence, virtually everything in the store is made in China). All of this to save a few bucks? It isn't worth the toll (on humanity), the hassle and you really don't "save" anything in the end with their inferior products. An interesting read is what they have done to Vlasic Pickles.

We haven't shopped there in many months and won't again (and this could be considered difficult living in a small town, but we haven't felt "inconvenienced" looking elsewhere and I'd rather spend a few more bucks for something that works or lasts).

There's quite a few good articles:   http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/77/walmart.html

Here's another (general): http://www.larouchepub.com/other/2003/3046wal-mart_pricing.html

Here's a look at one article:

Wal-Mart `Eats' More
U.S. Manufacturers by Richard Freeman
In mid-November, Wal-Mart, the world's largest corporation and leader of the "globalization" drive, forced the closing of a national children's clothing store, Kids 'R' Us, and pushed the famous Hoover vacuum cleaner manufacturer to the brink; by the end of November, it is expected that Hoover may announce the shift of a substantial portion of its production facilities to Mexico, laying off hundreds of American workers.

Actually, Toys R Us proper is probably closing as well - thanks Wal-Mart!

Melissa & Dan

There have been some very alarming rumors that have circulated over the years with regard to the destructive nature of some of the decision making policies of some of the more prominent citizens of the Yarmouth area.  I do not know if these are true or not but my hope is that by putting them up on this web site that some verification of the validity of these rumors can be ascertained.  If you have any comments that support or refute these accusations or would like to add you own concerns please email me: 
Godfrey LeBlanc g_routes@ca.inter.net . On the subject line please type rumor as the first word.