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Mountain Equipment Co-op

I don't want to turn this into a personal bicker-fest, but your comparing my observation (maniacal drivers) to your stereotyping (welfare cheques, mullets and two-fours) is a bit of a stretch.

You might note that my comments regarding Burlington, namely: "I challenge anyone here to ride a bike or walk on Brant Street near the QEW -- it's a nightmare. Nothing but high speed maniacal Burlington suburbanites, all flying by the nearby car dealerships, strip malls (and the soon-to-be-walmart) in order to get home asap." were not made in order to stereotype the residents of Burlington or make them look bad where your stereotype of Hamiltonians constituted a specific personal attack. My attack was on the road system, while yours was on the residents of the city. Perhaps you take offense to my using the term "maniacal", however most drivers anywhere near the highway are maniacal and then some.

My comments were made based on observations - ones that I myself made over the years as a Burlington resident and more recently as a visitor doing contract work there. My comments are an accurate representation of the state of the road system near the QEW, and they ring true in any suburban "city", including the parts of Northeast Hamilton near the QEW Niagara. (Which is why I'd never suggest putting a MEC on Centennial). Cyclists and pedestrians attempting to travel anywhere near the highway have to jump over curbs, dodge merging vehicles and travel very long distances without passing a single pedestrian-scale building, park or any place of interest. It's simply not pedestrian friendly. Main street in Hamilton may be fast and uncomfortable, and I'd love to see it change back to two way, but at least there are points of interest along the entire stretch other than big boxes and onramps. I'm not at all trying to argue that all of Hamilton is more pedestrian friendly than all of Burlington. But I am saying that a location near the downtown of a city with a real downtown core is much better than one by the highway in a suburban town.

I never argued that a big box style MEC would NOT do well at Brant. I'm sure it will do fine (better than fine, actually). But for a non profit store who touts its greenness every chance it gets, the choice is rather hypocritical (and could come back to bite MEC in the ass when the highway lifestyle becomes too expensive for the average Joe to maintain).
 
I don't want to turn this into a personal bicker-fest, but your comparing my observation (maniacal drivers) to your stereotyping (welfare cheques, mullets and two-fours) is a bit of a stretch.)


Your semantics are a little self-serving.


My comments were made based on observations - ones that I myself made over the years as a Burlington resident and more recently as a visitor doing contract work there.)

I have lived in Hamilton too. In fact, I spent a lot of time there over the holidays. I'd love to share your view of Hamilton as a thriving and dynamic urban centre, but I just don't see it yet. I don't see it in Burlington either, for that matter.


I never argued that a big box style MEC would NOT do well at Brant. I'm sure it will do fine (better than fine, actually). But for a non profit store who touts its greenness every chance it gets, the choice is rather hypocritical (and could come back to bite MEC in the ass when the highway lifestyle becomes too expensive for the average Joe to maintain).

Fair enough.
 
MEC coming to Barrie

A bit peripheral to Toronto, but within the commuter-shed.

Mountain Equipment Co-op will be coming to Barrie late this year or early next.

**

As a side note, their flagship store in downtown Toronto is now way too small; according to staff they can't stock a whole lot of what MEC head office wants them to carry, for lack or room.

No rumours yet on either expansion or replacement; but they've already renovated and made the store a bit crowded feeling in the process. I'm told something will give cause its costing them big dollars in lost sales they figure.
 
Yeah, I went there looking for a frame bag for my bike, which IMO is pretty much a basic item, and the staff told me they haven't had them for a while. I walked across the street to Europe Bound, and they had a pile of them (literally, under piles of other stuff!). Canadian Tire is only a short walk or ride away, and they always have stuff like that. But I prefer MEC, because they have decent prices, the quality is pretty good for the money, and the staff are great.

Urbandreamer: Is there enough space in the base of any condos near there? I wouldn't have a problem with that, but I would hope they stay closer than Dufferin Mall! Maybe Liberty Village?
 
Very interesting proposal. I see both pros and cons to this development.

Pros:
- While I've bought items at that Sheridan Nurseries and I do see steady business there, I don't think it would be overly missed.
- I could see an MEC doing well in this general area.
- It may give Bessarion station some much-needed life (probably not likely though).
- I don't think stacked townhouses would be too "out of place" here since there are a number of townhouses right at Protea Gardens and the vicinity.
- It'll certainly give Canadian Tire some competition.

Cons:
- There's already quite a bit of traffic around Leslie & Sheppard and this probably won't help relieve congestion.
- I'm not sure how the new road leading into and out of the townhouses will "fit in" with MEC. Seems kind of tucked away in the back of the store in a way.
- With Sheridan Nurseries gone, where oh where will everyone get their flowers?

All in all, I wouldn't be opposed to this proposal. It still looks like they have a few issues to resolve before this can move forward so I guess we'll have to wait and see.
 
I understand intellectually that a garden centre is not the highest and best use on a subway line. But selfishly, this sucks because I like this Sheridan location. So, James, you are wrong, wrong, wrong :))) - it will be missed.
 
Sheridan disappeared at Sherway several years ago now for Menkes' One Sherway. I know there are other garden centres being replaced by condos, etc. Maybe it's the competition from Home Depot that are hurting the Sheridans of this world?

There must be a way to make a garden centre work as a green roof component to new development.

42
 
Maybe it's the competition from Home Depot that are hurting the Sheridans of this world?

Maybe, although that competition has been around for awhile, and I shop at Sheridan (as I suspect do many people) for very different product/customer service than I would at the temporary garden centres at Loblaws, Home Depot, etc. I suspect the bigger problem is the the land-intensive nature of a typical garden centre and how hard that can be to maintain in an area experiencing lots of redevelopment and intensification.

Your suggestion for a "green roof" garden centre is absolutely awesome.
 
So I was down at the MEC on King Street last week to pick up some items I needed. I remember this store way back in the late 90's and while it's been changed and refreshed quite a bit since then, I too agree that they could use more space and capacity for inventory.

I've talked to a number of people who also believe that the sheer number of campers, cottagers, fishing aficionados, boaters, etc. in the midtown/uptown sector of Toronto far outweigh the numbers in the downtown core. Taking into account the pros and cons I stated in my previous post, personally, I'm still looking forward to the completion of the Leslie & Sheppard MEC store.

A more recent article from earlier this year: http://www.insidetoronto.com/news-s...co-op-ready-to-plant-flag-on-north-york-site/

Mountain Equipment Co-op ready to plant flag on North York site
784 Sheppard Ave. E

North York Mirror
By Lisa Queen

With just one more hill to climb before it gets approval, Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) is looking forward to building a new store and 50-unit townhouse development on Sheppard Avenue west of Leslie Street.

The project, at 784 Sheppard Ave., was approved by North York Community Council on Jan. 15 and is expected to be approved by city council on Feb. 19.

“My sense is it will be a great development,†public affairs manager, Tim Southam, told The Mirror.

MEC has been looking to open a store in North York for some time, he said.

“We had our eye on that site for a number of years,†he said, pointing to the location’s access to Sheppard and the Bessarion subway station and its proximity to Hwy. 401.

“The fact is that’s a part of Toronto we’re interested in. Sheppard itself is experiencing a lot of growth, a lot of retail development and is well-suited to MEC’s unique kind of retail.â€

However, at least one resident is concerned about the project’s impact on traffic in the community.

Lorraine Hanser pointed out the area is also going to be home to a new community centre and Concord Park Place, the largest condo development in North York’s history, which will add about 5,000 families.

Willowdale Councillor David Shiner said he understands traffic concerns plaguing Sheppard.

“It’s terrible. It just gets worse,†he said.

However, Shiner argued the MEC project is a much more modest development than could have been proposed for the site,

If approved by city council, the store would be MEC’s second location in Toronto. The first store is on King Street east of Spadina Avenue.

A retail co-operative with 3.5 million members in Canada, MEC sells equipment for a wide range of outdoor activities such as hiking, cycling, camping, snow sports, water sports, running and yoga.

It has about 620,000 members in the Greater Toronto Area, 100,000 of which are North York residents.

The development would include a two-storey, 4,100-square-metre (44,130-square-foot) MEC store fronting on to Sheppard.

Behind the store would be a 50-unit, four-storey stacked townhouse development.

Because MEC is not in the residential development business, it has partnered with developer Broccolini to build the townhouses, Southam said.

The site, once home to a Sheridan Nurseries garden centre, which will be demolished, is larger than necessary to simply house an MEC store, he said.
 
I walked past the new Toronto Queen Street store this afternoon. What a disappointment! It's the first time I have seen the corner since the hoarding came down. Compared to the 1998 King Street building, this is a turd. Then I found this link by accident tonight. Sean Micallef is more eloquent than I, but I am no less disappointed.

https://www.thestar.com/opinion/sta...me.html?li_source=LI&li_medium=star_web_ymbii
 
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The co-op started to lose its way years ago, but it was only in the last few years you really noticed it. Expanding into downhill skis, running, lifestyle, and yoga, building big-box suburban stores only to compete with Bass Pro/SAIL/Sport Chek, and watering down their once good store brand to where a lot of the stuff is now crap. The logo change was just a symptom.
 

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