The Board was told by many witnesses – both the expert and lay witnesses – that Wal-Mart Canada Corp.is not an ordinary retailer. It is one that has an immediate impact on any market area it enters. It was the evidence of both the City’s expert witnesses and Mr. Butler, a qualified land use planner testifying on behalf of the CCC, that if a Walmart store were permitted to locate on the Avonwood lands, other large format retail stores would insist on locating nearby. Mr. Butler told me that in these circumstances it would be difficult, if not impossible, to stop them. Testifying in support of the Avonwood proposal, Mr. Parsons did not attempt to dispute this judgement, stating merely that in his opinion, the West End Commercial Area was not an appropriate location for regional-serving, large format retail stores (such as a Walmart store).
After considering all the evidence, I find that Avonwood’s attempt to persuade the Board that the locational preferences of any developer or retailer – even a major developer like Avonwood or a major retailer like Wal-Mart Canada Corp. – should take precedence over the City’s planning policies is inconsistent with the policy-led planning approach instituted by the Province and endorsed by Council in both the 1993 Official Plan and OPA 10.
Colin Hefferon
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