I think the argument for supporting local could've been made before the cost of living exploded to support "Canadian" chains but now many families locally are just trying to get by. Though Costco is getting expensive (a queso dip for $12? Get bent!), but it's still the best game in town. You can't blame folks who are struggling when they use the most cost effective option.

The "small towners driving to the next town over to shop" has always happened, and will always happen. I grew up in Hazelton, and we still went to Smithers every weekend to grab groceries, though Hazelton had two perfectly serviceable grocery stores. Even if the economics for just grocery shopping don't work out on their face, you can usually justify the trip by other means by saying there's better selection, boutique items you can only get in larger centres, or family and friends to visit (the list goes on).

Another note is that there aren't many truly independent grocers in town. I can only think of the Marquee off hand?(which is well supported locally). Grocery is the just the latest sector to become an oligopoly (see: telecom, banking, rail). Even if you shop at Save-On or Superstore, you'd be lining the pocket of a tax-evading big wig who doesn't care about little Prince George anyhow. The only difference is that the Costco bigwigs live in Seattle. No ethical consumption under capitalism, as they say.

Ultimately I think in this current climate, Costco is a good thing.

As mentioned in some of the reddit posts, they actually do pay their staff fairly. Not the same can be said by many of their competitors. True independent stores are few and far between. I'd rather have a Costco around to compete with the insane prices at Save On, or against Walmart who will happily pay their staff far less than a living wage.

Their prescription prices are low as well, and who does that take away from? Shoppers? They're a massive company owned by Loblaws. Independent local pharmacies probably do ok as well, sometimes proximity to home is more important than saving a few bucks on a prescription.

Let's not forget that prior to Costco stores closed at 6 and there was no Sunday shopping. Costco changed the when it said we are a shopping club not a retail store. The city ordinance fell shortly thereafter. Costco also single handedly brought the highest gasoline prices in the province down.

I definitely have felt the impact when Costco brings in a product my shop carries, and people ask me "why can't I offer the same price" -- Dude, Costco plays an entirely different game than small local shops. I can't buy it at that price direct from wholesaler. It definitely skews peoples sense of what products are worth and the costs of business operations.

As a former coffee shop owner, I can’t even begin to tell you how heavily we relied on Costco for food and food service supplies….and I wasn’t the only one.  You don’t have to walk around Costco for very long to spot other owners loading up on milk, produce, canned goods etc.  There are restaurant wholesalers out there that will deliver to your door, but Costco’s price is often better.  And you have the added benefit of picking items in the best condition or ripeness.  All the savings and convenience of picking things up as needed is definitely a benefit to the local economy.  Keeps the wheels turning for lots of restaurants, and maybe even menu prices a little cheaper.

If you ask me, and I’m sure most will agree, the bigger threat is Amazon.  At least SOME of the money stays in the local economy with Costco, versus virtually none with Amazon.  The only exception I can think of is the extra delivery drivers needed to drop of Amazon packages.  If there is a campaign to help the local economy by avoiding Costco, I believe it is a little misdirected and should switch targets to Amazon.

I thought this might be up your alley. The Cantata singers did a sing along PG version of the 12 days of Christmas at their concert tonight, it was hilarious and tough to sing! 

It doesn’t matter that Heidt is still considered one of the top pro hockey prospects in the WHL, averaging 2.04 points per game playing for the first-place overall Cougars….

“It’s very simple, he deserves to go,” said Cougars head coach and general manager Mark Lamb. “What else is he supposed to do? He’s leading the league in scoring. We’re the Number 1 team in the WHL. Our power play in Number 1, our penalty-killing is Number 1 and he’s the Number 1 guy on both special teams.

“He deserves to be there.”

Naturally, I know some will point to Riley Heidt, who leads the WHL in scoring, but he wasn’t a standout at U18 worlds and I think that lingers for Hockey Canada brass. Centre depth and Heidt’s role as a power play type made it additionally hard for him as well. He’s eligible for next year’s tournament.

Outside of my professional life, including my ten years as the MLA for Prince George-Mackenzie, my passion has been fueled by my life as an avid outdoorsman. For decades I have observed the cumulative impacts of clearcut forest harvesting in the Prince George timber supply area. Between 15 and 20 million hectares of BC forests have been clear-cut over the past sixty years, leading to a severe loss of wildlife habitat for all species, including songbirds, raptors, salmon, and ungulates. In several cases, this has caused wildlife populations to plummet by over 50% and many species, such as pine marten and goshawks, have been extirpated.

Unfortunately, clearcut logging is only the beginning of the problem. Most clearcuts were re-planted with lodgepole pine, one of the most flammable conifer trees, in densities three and four times greater than the original mixed forest. Many new forests were sprayed with glyphosate to kill all deciduous growth, including aspen, birch, cottonwood, and crucial food sources like berry and seed-producing plants critical for wildlife. I've observed these clear-cuts as they regrow, many for over forty years, and sadly, habitat is still insufficient to support most wildlife populations.

…

My experience as a criminal investigator, combined with years of weighing and assessing evidence as an adjudicator with the BC Health Professions Review Board and making informed decisions and recommendations to the government on newly approved medications as a member of the Drug Benefit Council, are all reflected in my desire to leave no stone unturned as I seek answers to the current state of BC's forests. Years of research have included extensive literature reviews on wildlife biology, forest ecology and watershed hydrology, and past and present forest legislation. My considerable travel through BC forests, coupled with a half-century of hunting, trapping, fishing, camping, and hiking, have assisted me in collecting the empirical evidence necessary to corroborate my findings, and provide a voice for biodiversity in British Columbia.