Despite posting recent profits, Loblaws plans to close 19 Provigo and Loblaws stores in Quebec. Although this is being described in terms of lost jobs – a legitimate concern – it's also bound to have an impact as modest neighbourhoods lose their grocery stores.

Obviously it looks good on a corporation's short-term balance sheet if they maintain a few very profitable outlets and cut off those that don't turn an immediate profit. We've already lost most of the city's bank branches to this process, for example. But as a highly centralized suburban model continues to invade the city it puts the burden on the consumer to travel further and spend more time to do regular errands. Inevitably this means more and more dependence on the car, just as we begin to realize how insane this is as a sustainable model for living.
posted at 10:39