Refuting Johnathan

I am writing in response to Johnathan Yardley's Dec. 8 viewpoint article. I have a few problems with his letter and I'd like to point them out.

In response to the first point, a franchise is not simply a matter of “sourcing merchandise”. A franchise store buys the rights to the name, advertising and buying power of a larger corporation. In exchange, the franchise owner (in this case, Brian and Heather Gooding, who now live on Vancouver Island) agree to exclusive loyalty in their merchandising, decor and expression of the parent company's public relations messages. Franchise agreements also contain a “right of first refusal” for the parent company. This means that when the Goodings (now in their sixties) are ready to move on, the store will likely be bought back by Mark's (a subsidiary of Canadian Tire).

As to Johnathan's confusion regarding the objections raised against the proposed expansion of Mark's in Ganges, regardless of whose lease expires when, the opposition to Mark's expansion is two-fold. He is correct that there is sadness over the displacement of the four small businesses. What he has missed is the issue of diversity, pedestrian appeal and character in our downtown core. Even if none of these four small businesses continue in their current locations, there should still be four little storefronts there, not one big one.

In a place known world-wide for it's unique “made or grown on Saltspring” Saturday Market, it is a natural extension to protect the locality and charm of the surrounding area. People love Saltspring because of the forests, the farms and the “unique boutiques”. Development in this area should reflect our local vision and embody our values. It should be more interesting, more unique and more pedestrian friendly. Architects are among those whose vision serves the community through their ideas for our built environment. Six hundred and sixty eight people have signed the petition opposing Mark's expansion in its current location. Our vision serves the community too!