What an an amazing waste of the taxpayers dollars again by the CBC. The majority of arguments in the feature were based on American policies and situations. There is no credibility in this documentary at all because of the clear lack of integrity in reporting. If the CBC wants to run a special on Wal-Mart America, then it definitely should feel free to do so. What it should not do however is make an American documentary and pretend that it is the same in Canada, because it clearly is not.

I have to agree with a lot of what the anti-Wal Mart protesters are saying. My partner was a department manager at what was touted as the busiest store in the province. He was treated like crap, and nearly forced into working 15 hours/day, 6 days/week. He came home burnt out, exhausted, aching and was making himself sick. His district managers were exceptionally harsh on him, only focusing on negative while piling impossible standards on him.

Wal-Mart doesn't care about its employees. The higher-ups in the company are abusive and full of themselves.

I found the situation in Guelf to be the saddest part of this documentary. A ten year fight lost and the city council being ousted too late.

What a sad legacy Council Members have left the citizens and future generations of Guelph. Hopefully they will do some soul searching now that their nightmare has been realized.

I know that Wal-Mart is a bad company that treats their employees like garbage, but so what? They're just trying to make a quick buck the best way they know how. There is a reason that they are so successful! I don't shop there, and if you agree with me then you wouldn't shop their either. End of story, they loose your business and maybe that of your friends. At the end of the day nothing is really hurting Wal-Mart.

Cheers to you for an invigorating doc on Walmart. Something I learned about W this very week. I live near two W locations. At one, expect to wait at least 20 minutes in line. At the other, less than 2 minutes. Take one guess at which one is located in the inner city, and which one is in the suburbs?

The exploitation and injustice boils my blood!
and I'm a white professional girl who can shop where I want to.

I was disappointed at the slant your documentary took, giving a lot of air time to the Wal-mart haters. I have worked in retail for 25 years in Canada, with HBC, Sears, Eatons, and my love Woodwards. It was Woodwards that made me enjoy the respect of being a retail worker, and not since Wal-mart have I ever been treated with the same respect.

Canadian retailers don't offer full time positions with benefit packages and profit sharing. I was working at a unionized Bay Co. before Wal-mart, where I could not move forward with a career plan, because the union had clogged any opportunities with dead weight workers that were only there to collect a paycheck, didn't know what a good days work was, and prssured every day my signing of a union card.

In 6 years with Wal-mart, I have almost tripled my starting wage, and have been offered every opportunity to move forward in my career, regardless of my age. I will support my employer to the very end. They are the best thing that ever happened to me, and every day I enjoy walking through the doors, greeted by my Wal-mart family. Thank you Wal-mart for coming to Canada and leading retailers by example!

Your show on Walmart is not a documentary, it is blatant propaganda. The main stream of opposition to Walmart is funded by unions bent on destroying the Walmart model not for its labour practices, but for the fact that their union leaderships do not share in the booty. All of the business practices employed by Walmart also are employed by many other companies and governments,including our own federal government in its bidding practices. You also pay lip service to the concept of offering the consumer the lowest possible prices. Would that many other retailers took the same attitude!

Walmart's recent programs for environmental protection are going to make significant contributions to that problem, about which you made scant comment. You also made aspersions, without proof, that the outcome of municipal elections in Guelph stemmed from the platforms of the incumbents.

You need a fairness commissioner to prevent your worst impulses and yellow journalism from ruining your reputation.

Your documentary was misleading, incomplete and biased against Wal-Mart. It's a free country, if you don't like the place where you work, you have the right to quit. Union has its selfish agenda. They too use the working class to achieve their goals and justify their existence. They are the worst offender of fair wages. It's okay for them to pay low wages but not the public sector.

Bottom line, the buying public benefit from fair prices from Wal-Mart and if their suppliers cut cost as they see fit, that's their business. Wal-Mart buys and resells.

I just finished watching this documentary and I am very distressed about the Wal-Mart situation here in Guelph. I have been a resident here in Guelph for about 6 years and since I have been I have seen a noticeable expansion, particularly in the stone-road area with big box stores growing rapidly and creeping closer and closer to the old university neighborhoods and the campus itself. This town has such charm, it is the reason I relocated here.

Wal-Mart is NOT in this stone-road area, which makes a whole new 'commercial centre' in Guelph. (The Home Depot marks yet another!) This does not simply contribute to urban sprawl but also forces shoppers to travel from one end of town to another to simply 'run a few errands.' The result is a greater reliance on cars (the bus system here is absolutely terrible anyhow). This may not seem like a HUGE contribution to emission problems, but over the years, these trips can and will add up. The Wal-Mart here is supposedly a 'green' wal-mart (I'm not sure, I have never been inside - on purpose.) but what is the point of being efficient if you are merely forcing your shoppers to be less so?

Perhaps they could have considered the stone road area, if anywhere at all? the new Future Shop was built here, but, smartly, it shares a parking lot with Canadian Tire, Zellers, and is centrally located on the most frequently run bus routes here. It is also located within walking distance from the university, which is where a large concentration of the population of Guelph seems to be centralized.

Furthermore, it is right behind a large Ultra-Mart grocery store with a strip mall and the Stone Road Mall. Although it would be ideal not to have these huge box stores in Guelph at all, they are a reality and seem un-avoidable. If they are going to be here, I think future shop had the right idea.

it is difficult not to be angered at the way corporate america (in this case wal-mart) has totally overwhelmed (and thereby created) a monopoly. and just as individual will is crushed under the foot of overzealous managers - more and more people flood into more and more stores in order to save a few pennies per item. sometimes i shake my head in disbelief at the utter stupidity of mankind.

This film was great. I appreciate the timing of it, as the holiday shopping season has apparently begun. I certainly hope it dissuades a few shoppers from hitting the big box.

It answered a lot of questions I've had, and armed me with some new debating points for my nay-saying, bargoon shopping friends who just dismiss my anti-Wal-Mart rants as socialist, tree-hugging nonsense. (Note: I am not a ranting, tree-hugging socialist)

I didn't know about the discrimination law-suit and I love the brilliance of the faith-based argument, "Would Jesus Shop at Wal-Mart"???

I just can't believe more people don't see the connection between the loss of their beloved manufacturing jobs and where they choose to shop.

I try to dare my friends to fill a shopping cart with products made in North America- and it's entirely impossible. It's beyond low quality. The pressure to lower prices has caused life-threatening short cuts: lead on baby toys; lethal pet food; date-rape chemicals in aqua-dots.

I blame Wal-Mart for most of it.

I hope you replay this film weekly until Dec. 24th.

This Doc has made me realize being a consumer has consequences that we do not often see. Being a wal-mart shopper has always kept a few more dollars in my pocket, maybe if I was not so greedy looking to save a few bucks, i would still have a local market to shop from? Its about time we started supporting our local farmers, markets,shops ect... and stop lining the pockets of Americans destended to rule the world!

The Wal-Mart Nation discussed in this documentary was one sided with only a negative focus.

The company's sustainability efforts - for the greener good - was tainted with a secret agenda of cost reduction but unlike other retailers - they are taking action to save the environment!

This company gives back to the community - there was no mention of any charity donations i.e. Children Miracle Network $3M raised, Redcross $1.4M that Wal-Mart Canada has raised to make a difference to Canadians.
More recently Wal-Mart Canada has taken a stance reflecting the strength of the Canadian dollar and passing on the savings to the consumer i.e. on gift cards, magazines, movies and games. Unlike other retailers that are not passing on those savings.

Wal-Mart is one of the only retailers in Canada making a difference to Canadians in their everyday lives!

The Muncipality of Halifax is comprised of several cities that include Halifax, Dartmouth, the town of Bedford, Sackville and surrounding rural communities. The City of Dartmouth has several retail centers and 2 major malls. One 'Penhorn Mall' contained a Wal-Mart. The other Mall, MicMac Mall did not.

When Wal-Mart appeared it devastated the retail business of mall outlets in the mall and surrounding businesses. As retail outlets disappeared 'dollar stores' began to pop-up selling cheap Chinese merchandise. A plan was made to create a big-box retail space called 'Dartmouth Crossing' and Wal-Mart left the mall to move to that retail space. When Wal-Mart vacated the space it left behind a mall with close to 50% or less occupancy, devastated and falling.

There are rumors flying about the now empty existing retail space formally occupied by Wal-Mart which before Wal-Mart was occupied by Woolco. The rumor is that Target is looking for retail space and that Wal-Mart is holding onto the lease as long as possible until year end so that Target cannot occupy that space and cut into Wal-Mart's Christmas sales. The other end of the mall contains a Sears store and since Wal-Mart's stay Sears is a shadow of it's former self.

Meanwhile across town another retailer 'Canadian Tire' had in 2000 built a brand new retail space to expand from their old and crowded space. That was 7 years ago and now Canadian Tire has moved again out of that space to the 'Crossing' right beside Wal-Mart. This has left behind a massive building with no obvious retailer in sight 'dumb enough' to NOT move to the Crossing. A location out of the way of normal vehicle traffic and very inconvenient for those who are without a vehicle, even workers have a hard time getting home from the 'Crossing'.

Big box stores have low customer service values. They really just push product from their shelves so cheap that mom & pop stores which originally serviced the community have gone under because of it. I have personally witnessed two friends who owned their own retail businesses.

Because these big box stores can push a computer from their shelves 50-60% of what smaller store can sell for who in their right mind would NOT buy from them? Just make sure nothing happens to the item and you will REALLY see the difference between Big Box retail and smaller retailer. For example, my computer keyboard went on the fritz and the small retailer I bought it from GAVE me one. I didn't even have to bring the dead one back. I was a good customer and he was a better salesman.

Go to Wal-Mart. I guarantee you would not be given anything for free from $50 candy to a $30-40 Keyboard, I guarantee they won't even care to know your name despite the fact that the people who work there are locals like you and me.

Sure, Wal-Mart is big and successful at the game of free enterprise capitalism. Employees who don't like their jobs there are also free to seek employment elsewhere. The anti-American and anti-capitalist rhetoric of this documentary would please Marxists everywhere. But what is the preferred alternative? The 'planned economy' f the USSR? Trudeau' wage and price controls?
I don' think so.

It would be wonderful if CEOs world-wide would follow the example of the founder and CEO of Costco who insists on fair wages and benefits for all Costco staff, and a personal salary cap for himself and his VPs at some $300,000 annually. The CBC top brass don't follow that example. Nor do union bosses, film-makers, journalists, entertainers, professional athletes, and a host of others in affluent societies. We're all too depraved, and hence, greedy. Wal-Mart is too easy a target for self-righteous hand-wringing.

The rhetoric of this documentary reminded me of the politicians who fought the advent of railroads out of social concern for canal workers. Let's not imagine that we can return to the romance of small town main street shops of a century ago. The lucrative anti-capitalist campaigns of opportunist politicians, union organizers and documentary-makers will not return us to the 19th century.

I watched with interest the documentary on TV tonight, partly because I was in it.

I was the lady behind the counter in the coffee shop supporting Walmart, and there are a few things I would like to clear up.

Firstly, the Jesuits have not been at their present site for a hundred years, they were originally in the centre of town and had to move on. In an expanding city they were trying to prevent any development at the North end, which is where I live.

Their land behind Walmart is not part of their quiet, religious area, but the commercial side of their enterprise, with a large compound of offices and halls rented out for commercial purposes. On the other side of highway six, their 'religious' area already has a large Canadian Tire and a Staples Business Depot and a Plaza in front.

Look at their 'retreat' on their website and see how much they charge to go there. They also advertise the Guelph Lake as being adjacent for walks and enjoyment. Considering their founder lived in a cave I have little sympathy for what has become a religious commercial enterprise.

Secondly, advertisements like anti Walmart supporters are putting out make me sick.

The one they showed asking 'Would Jesus have shopped at Walmart' makes me, as a Christian sick. Since when did Jesus mention money or shopping except for overturning tables of money changers in the temple.

Thirdly, many of my friends now work in our local Walmart, and are delighted with the wages which are higher than most local stores.

As far as the local council is concerned, we were, at the time, fed up with Karen Farbridge and her flower power friends, and worked hard to get her out and won. Kate Quarrie, who replaced her is, like me, no spring chicken, and it was decent of her to run at all.

Now Farbridge is back in she is a very different person, basically picking up where Kate left off. As for the other councillors, they were all part of the previous local government under Joe Young, of which Farbridge was also the heir apparent, so their ultimate defeat was no loss to the city as it was that camp that kept out Walmart and other developments.

As for Unions, I think their day is past. I belonged to one for years, and every time they negotiated we lost more and more.

Labour laws have improved so much that I think they are a complete waste of money.

As far as Walmart driving companies 'off shore', I should like to point out this is an international trend. We used to have Du Maurier in Guelph, and they have transferred production to Mexico.

In the UK where I come from, little manufacturing is done any more, mostly we just have assembly plants, and very few of those.

As for the exploitation of labour in third world countries, before the trend to off shore manufacture they starved. They do not want our interference as it puts food in their stomachs. A dollar may be a small coffee to us, but is a family meal for them.

Unions have made their own bed. Look at the auto industry. Why would anyone want to belong. They don't even provide job security any more.

I like Walmart, I shop there because it's cheap, and if anyone reading this only patronizes the private business sector, I will be amazed. When I go to Walmart, I see private business owners, of which I was one,
from all over town. We all have to shop frugally, none more than us. We shop at Costco, Walmart, Zellers etc. We read the fliers and shop for bargains everywhere.

We also shop on line, like thousands of others, and search the web for the best prices on everything from cars to appliances to toys.

Only those who never shop in large stores have the right to criticize Walmart, who are not the only ones using off shore labour, and doing deals to get us the best prices.

It's unfortunate that one thing the average TV viewer rarely understands is that documentaries are not always trying to show both sides of an issue fairly, but rather the film maker (ie. directors such as Michael Moore or the director of this CBC documentary) has a preconceived stance on the topic and any film they produce will be slanted, and deliberately so in order to produce a particular reaction in the audience.

In this documentary, WAL-MART is depicted as the big bad retail Empire that is unfair to their workers, unsympathetic to communities and steamrolls over all areas of the world in order to achieve their evil capitalistic goals.

However, when allegations are made by disgruntled employees of mistreatment, these complains are generalized and used as fuel for anti-WAL-MART crusaders, yet the validity of these complaints are rarely explored or documented.

Employees often feel mistreated, unappreciated, underpaid and so on...if such employees are queried in any field, they will voice their displeasure with their employer and their position there. There are people out there that feel companies owe them higher wages, neverending flexibility and advancement.

Well I can tell you from a management perspective, that many of these people have delusions of grandeur and believe that they deserve advancement when in fact they have done nothing to set themselves apart from the crowd, in fact many of these individuals are generally just average workers who's abilities and productivity are merely on par with others rather than excelling and showing the necessary attributes that catch the attention of upper management when opportunities arise.

Anti-WAL-MART supporters and many unionized work groups use this type of thing to back their assumptions and attacks on corporate North America.

I know several people who work for WAL-MART or SAM'S CLUB and from what I know, these individuals have been fairly treated, paid fair to exceptionally well for the retail sector, and in certain instances have been treated to EXCEPTIONAL fairness and flexibility in terms of their work environment and with things such as absences and job abandonment issues. Things that in my corporate world would be subject to immediate dismissal.

Environmentalists such as the one fighting the birth of the WAL-MART in Guelph will evoke any reason whatsoever to achieve their goal. WAL-MART was once a corner store, small business in Arkansas, they simply did it better and grew out of their retail infantcy and became the business leader we know today.

From a labour standpoint, when I watched the directors lament about the construction of the new store in Guelph, I saw a construction site thriving with UNIONIZED contruction workers. I think of all of the temporary and permanent jobs that will be born out of the WAL-MART and the surrounding stores, outlets and restaurants that will spring up around the store.

WAL-MART sources much of their goods from local and Canadian businesses, in turn, WAL-MART's success is rained down upon other companies, entrepeneurs and even some small businesses.

I have many complaints about WAL-MART on a local level, but that's more to do with a lack of quality employees or Store mismanagement that does not learn quickly from obvious mistakes and inefficiencies. But this is a failure of individuals and teams at the store level here in Toronto.

I have also experienced stores, mainly in the USA, such as in Orlando, Florida where the customer service, individual employee awareness and appreciation of their jobs, and solid management of the store itself made the shopping experience clean, efficient and satisfying.

But I will not fault the corporate end of WAL-MART for being exceptional business people. Some people hate success in others, when that is brought to a corporate level, you have people who attack industry leaders for being successful. Should Microsoft go back to the days of MS-DOS because a few people hate the proliferation of WINDOWS into the home computing world? Of course not, nor should WAL-MART stop growing their business, and in turn providing jobs, both directly or indirectly, as well as providing us all solid competition in the retail marketplace and support for Canadian and US suppliers and Canadian families who are just trying to get the best deal possible.

If companies can compete with WAL-MART (such as Canadian Tire for example, whose growth has continued and prospered despite the emergence of WAL-MART into Canada) then that will strengthen our already prospering economy, if Joe's Hardware wants to continue to charge $20 for a hammer which a customer can purchase from WAL-MART, RONA or HOME DEPOT for $10 then Joe's store will not survive. But don't blame WAL-MART for that.

Free market is key to our capitalist society....if ten thousand people in Guelph refuse to shop at WAL-MART in favour of local small business stores, then those small stores will likely continue to stay open, if they don't, then those businesses will fall, but that's business...customers are not guaranteed in any business venture. A restaurant that is busseling today may see it's clientelle dry up in a couple of years as tastes change and suddenly that restaurant fails and closes...but that's how it goes.

WAL-MART is in business to make money...as profits rise, stock prices rise and shareholders are rewarded and the success moves forward. There were several comments made by anti-WAL-MART people in your documentary that complained that WAL-MART makes wages lower...I dispute that, minimum wage has increased recently across Canada, and I know for a fact that WAL-MART does not start their new employees at minimum, but rather slightly above. Employment reviews are frequent and are almost always accompanied by a modest wage increase except in the rarest of cases. WAL-MART offers a group benefits plan for their employees with several coverage options to choose from.

Essentially if you are too impatient to work under this process, then stay in school and get yourself a better job in an industry that pays better wages. Again a cornerstone option of our market economy.

Basically retail is retail...there are plenty of young people working for local record stores for example who make no more than they would at a similar job at WAL-MART...but who's future there relies on the ability of that small retailer to make money...whereas WAL-MART brings success that is almost guaranteed...also offered are company funded training courses for employees to better themselves and move up in the company.

I know several people who have moved from the retail stores to corporate head offices after proving themselves and as you can imagine their opinion of the company far differs from someone who is bitter about where they are in life and and the fact that they imagine that failure is because of the company they work for rather than looking within to see their own shortcomings.

The retail landscape will continue to change in North America, in the end customers dictate the success or failure of any retailer. 10% of the population (ie. the anti-WAL-MART people in Guelph) hardly speaks for the remaining 90% of the people.

In the end, the documentary shows a Santa, in a saddened light, welcoming people to the Guelph WAL-MART, the camera fades to black and we're all inspired to feel saddened by what we've seen...however, behind that Santa I saw FULL line ups and cash registers clicking and beeping away with customers.

The people vote with their dollars...if you hate WAL-MART, don't shop there, if you have problems with management or employees, voice your concerns either at the store or corporate level. But if you're a reasonable consumer who wants to stretch their hard earned dollars as much as possible, shop WHERE YOU WANT, as that is your right. The marketplace will adjust accordingly.

When it comes down to it, every business is designed to make money. Whether it's WAL-MART or the hot dog cart owner who buys a case of water at SAM'S CLUB for $5 for a case of 30, but sells it to you at his stand for $2 each....$55 profit on a initial purchase of $5...so ask yourself, who is REALLY robbing you of your money here and who is the bad guy!!

And of course we didn't even touch on the money WAL-MART raises and DONATES to local and national charities as a good corporate citizen. But again the documentary was not to show you the whole story, just that which supports their point of view.

And in my point of view, WAL-MART is no better or worse than any retailer...and they should not be attacked for being the most successful.

What a well done film. Living in a strong union town, it's important to protect union jobs with good wages and decent benefits.

I work at A&P and our company has been hit hard by WalMart. When our union UFCW were in negotiations for out contract, the company used the excuse that we have to compete with WalMart. And now someone who works at A&P for 5-10 years will still be making minimum wages. We used to be a great place to work. And now I am looking for another job after working there for 14 years. I am not the only one in my family who works at A&P. Our family is having problems keeping up and becoming ill. I am seriously considering moving out of this country.

Secondly I feel I am forced to shop there because stores I would have normally gone to. Have been closed or do not offer what they used to.

These are just a couple of things that are causing troubles. But we do live in a Capitolistic society and until we realize that it is the $1 that truly votes. We are only bringing these troubles on ourselves.

I know of a place where Wal-Mart workers can talk with each other about issues in the work place and learn about their rights.

www.walmartworkerscanada.com

I have not and will not set foot into a WalMart store... This last Spring my daughter had the misfortune of traveling to Washington DC with an employee of WalMarts from BC. I also understand that each morning in there stores there is a pep rally. While standing in front of the Washington monument this woman sighed and said "Imagine that we are in the only free country in the world". She was immediately told that she had just come from a free country among many others in this world.

Now I realize not all employees are Dingbats but it does reflect on the propaganda fed to the employees of WalMart. They have the gaul to propagandize this belief in our country Canada. There has been other documentaries on this company and how they cut costs, close a store that unionized, etc... You may save a few pennies shopping at this store but others are paying the cost. Shame on them.

We got a new Wal-mart about 4 years ago, the consumers love the prices and selection,etc. The other businesses hate it as it has hurt the old Main Street. They are not good community citizens unless they can claim all the credits.
However , we would not want to be without them as consumers. They will have to learn to respect the community and their employees I guess, I will shop there, I would never work for them.

I have been following this discussion, and for those who say Walmart kills businesses how about this.

Our downtown core is a delapadated has been.

An Eton's center there failed, the only grocery store closed, and all that is left are banks and mainly expensive shops, and I don't know why anyone would want to go there at all as it really is a hang out for drugies and begging.
Of course, they objected to Walmart, saying it would take away trade, what trade?

However, Walmart offered them a million dollars to offset any effect they might have.

For all those who would scream 'bribery' remember what I said about the core being dead already.

Our independant, and dispensable downtown turned down their offer. Their mismanagement is so bad, they didn't have the sense to take the money and run.

My coffee shop was, before I retired, at a corner not far from Walmart, and trade picked up. One has to wonder why people are so against Walmart, and only Walmart. I do not see the same hate against other stores.

Walk into any store anywhere and see where things are made. You will have difficulty finding goods made in America or Canada.

Even souvenires say 'Made in China'.

I see a hidden agenda here, and it has nothing to do with the way Walmart operates.

I have not stepped foot in the Wal-mart store that was built in Napanee a couple of years ago; nor do I intend to. I appreciate your documentary and wish I knew where to sign up and help voice my disapproval of their business tactics.

I think if more of us were vocal and had an opportunity to take a stand; we could help the poor beleagered employers. I certainly don't want them to lose their jobs; I would like to see them paid union wages and treated fairly. I won't even go into the way I feel about the way Wallmart deals with their suppliers.

Thanks for the chance to vent.

I'm glad to see that my film WAL-MART NATION has inspired such heated debate. That was my intention in making the film.

Contrary to what some may believe, WAL-MART NATION is not an anti-Wal-Mart film. It's an attempt to understand the grass roots movement that has risen up in response to the business practises of the worlds' largest and most influential corporation.

I stand by the facts presented in my film. Most of the research is from first hand sources (ie: court and government records). Interestingly, the business press (Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Business Week) proved to be an invaluable source of information.

Wal-Mart supporters have suggested that the company is a target simply because of its size. That's absolutely correct. A company of this size, with this much power and influence should expect to be subject to an appropriate amount of scrutiny.

Some viewers and Wal-Mart supporters have complained that the film provides an unfair forum for anti-Wal-Mart activists. Wal-Mart's annual marketing and communications budget runs into the hundreds of millions (possibly billions) of dollars per year. Wal-Mart has a sophisticated media and communications department staffed by highly paid professionals. The company's external public relations is handled by Edelmans's, one of the largest PR firms on the planet.

WAL-MART NATION on the other hand is a single, hour long, $150,000 documentary examination of the flip side of a modern American business success story. I hope everyone will go to our web site, walmartnation.com to learn more.

The main reason I looked forward to Wal-Mart coming to town was not prices, but the ability to buy things I needed for my family e.g. child's carseats, shoes, small appliances, photofinishing, that before I had to drive 2 hours to Edmonton to get or order from a catalogue.

If local businesses had stepped up to the plate and provided the products and services people needed, Wal-Mart would not have been greeted so enthusiastically.

I hate seeing Wal-Mart springing up like weeds here in Toronto. There weren't ANY protests like the one in Guelph.

It's sad to see so many people shopping there and in turn hurting local shops.

Just remember how many companies and in turn employees you hurt by shopping at Wal-Mart.

Well, Mr Munger, you say your film is unbiased, but you spent a long time at my shop interviewing me, and none of what I said about Walmart itself was included in your film, while Bennet got major exposure.

I originally contacted Walmart to see if there was anything I could do to help get one in Guelph. I had many communications with the company, all of them courteous, none of them put any pressure on me.

You were also supposed to film me walking around Walmart, your suggestion not mine, and the only time you offered I couldn't go as I run the shop alone, and although you said you would call back to arrange another time you never did.

This is all a long time ago now, so there were many oportunities for a walkabout which you never followed up.
Our Guelph store is busy. Many of my friends work there and love it. I have done most of my Xmas shopping there, and the only stores that have lost my dollars are Zellers and Canadian Tire because they don't have the things I am looking for.

I do not shop at the smaller stores, they are too expensive for me. If my little coffee shop could successfully compete against Tim Hortons why can't retailers hold their own against Walmart. Now retired I have to watch my dollars even more, and if I can't manage I shall apply for a job at Walmart.

I never really gave much thought to where I shopped. Product selection, price, and location certainly plays a role. Due to a recent incident at Walmart, when I came across this program in the TV listings, I stayed up to watch. The show confirmed much of what I had been reading on the internet.

As a visually impaired, visible minority woman, I was denied access to a Walmart store that I shopped at on a regular basis. I was told that I had to leave because my purse was a backpack. All my offers to have my bag checked when I left, have someone accompany me while I shop, leaving the backpack up front, etc. fell on deaf ears. Even explaining that I did not have a car to put it in because I am not allowed to drive because of vision loss was ignored.

Meanwhile, all around me were people with outside bags and over sized should bags. Walmart originally did not offer me much of an apology but did attempt to defend themselves by stating that they hire women, visible minorities, and the disabled. That upset me more then the actual incident because now I felt like I was being treated as a fool.

These employees are all in the low paying jobs. My eyes are wide open now and I choose to shop at Zellers. I think that there should be more programs on exposing business practices because then consumers become more aware. Sadly, too many of us don't consider whether the product we are buying was made by child labour or how employees are treated by bosses when we shop.

If people really knew what Wal Mart employees go through when working, they may change there minds when they see the commercials on tv. The long hours, low pay, and daily stress hardly make it a family oriented company to work for.

After I saw this show I was glad it had been shown. It was the first time I'd ever seen anything that showed the slighest insight into how little it pays it's employees. Everyone assumes that because it's a large company it pays very well. If only that were true. If it was you'd probably see assosicates with real smiles instead of fake ones.

I myself have worked there for several years. Every time the government decides to raise minimum wage I reaslise that I would be better off to give up the years I have put in and start over because I'd be making more then I am after all this time. So, the next time people wait outside to come into the store; show up late at night to shop and enjoy extended hours. I'd like them to think about all the time they get to spend with their families and the pay cheques they recieve, and know that it's something that Wal Marts associates work for but in the end will never have. Thanks.

I am confused. Why is it that other big box
stores do not upset these groups? Why is Home Depot not mentioned? I don't believe this documentary went there. Why is it that free enterprise threatens these groups?

I work in radio broadcasting and have reported on a Wal-Mart's attempts to enter my community. All that I have been fed is this anti-everything sentiment from this minority and as a journalist, I have a feeling that organized labour has a big part in this movement.

A proud Non-Union Broadcaster!

Amazing documentary. I'll admit, I can be quite frugal when it comes to my shopping habits, which I pride myself in. Then my conscience speaks up - and I think about how I pay into everything that anti-Walmart campaigns stand for.

It is a constant internal debate, as I understand both sides of the coin: the bargain shoppers, trying to complete a one-stop shop and return home with everything they or their family needs, and those who believe in supporting the mom and pop shops, raising minimum wage and supporting workers rights, the list goes on.

I will say, the timing of this program reminded me of my conscience - and will reform my thinking when it comes for picking out gifts for friends and family this holiday season. I hope that others who not only viewed the documentary, but will catch hearsay of it, will also be influenced as we approach the "busiest time of the year". (One last comment: CBC - I hope that you will re-air this program at, or near, the beginning of December - when the turmoil begins, and when a collaboration of a profound one hour special and the reminder of what Christmas is really about, will hopefully influence many lives in our communities.)

William: Excellent commentary. You've said more in one online discussion post than the ridiculous documentary said in it time and excessive funding.

I would add to your comments that the anti-Walmart movement is attempting to make decisions for entire communities. Although I don't believe in pure unadulterated democracy (nobody with sense does), this anti-Walmart minority is attempting to block consumers from shopping where they want to. It's almost an attempted forced subsidy to businesses they're concerned will be negatively impacted by Walmart's arrival.

A little heads up to this anti-Walmart movement and an expansion of your comment of "voting with dollars": people will decide for themselves where they want to shop. Choosing how and where to spend your money is generally as much a fundamental freedom as is freedom of speech. It is immoral to block consumer freedom.

I could go on and on about the silliness of this documentary, which is in and of itself completely unoriginal and a rip-off of many previous documentary's focusing on various aspects of Walmart, but you've touched on so many important points.

A very useless documentary. To respond to the director's (Andrew Munger) comment on this page: your excuse for making a misleading and one-sided documentary is to point to Walmart's heavy marketing finance? What a joke. You don't need to compromise the integrity and fairness of your film in order to address any of Walmarts wrongdoings that it is managing through its campaign by making a piece that is equally one-sided and ridiculous.

Thank you for the documentary. I have read the comments of other viewers prior to posting my own comments. We are an unfortunate community where WalMart moved into several years ago. Several of my relatives have worked there -- briefly. It appears that a person who is able to think is not considered an appropriate employee. Sure they have low prices -- if the majority of items are made in the third world and imported, they can sell items at a low price. Look at their ability to "negotiate" prices from their suppliers -- when the supplier/manufacturer can land such huge quantities of any one item, they can make them very inexpensively. Whatever happened to the "Buy Canadian" promotions?

Before WalMart arrived in our community we had a viable group of locally owned and operated businesses. We also had an Eaton's store, Sears catalogue outlet, Canadian Tire and Home Hardware store. These were all located downtown where a person could park and walk to all of these stores if they chose to do so. Anyone who didn't have a car (and I'm one of them) could easily do their shopping without having to find someone to drive them around. (We don't have public transit in our community of 6,700.)

Since WalMart arrived, Home Hardware and Canadian Tire have moved out on what is now referred to as the "Golden Mile". It is scattered along both sides of Highway 17 (the only Highway through our community). The number of accidents and near misses since this has occurred continues to increase week by week. Persons who do not or cannot drive or who are disabled are now dependent on others . . .. there's something wrong with this picture!

We have experienced the closure of almost all our locally owned stores since WalMart descended on our town. Now our Paper Mill has been purchased by a company that has a reputation for "union breaking" and the forest industry is in trouble in northern Ontario. Many locals say they have "no choice" but to shop at WalMart -- I am in that position to some degree although I will now shop in Winnipeg before I will give my money to this empire!

I am told to lower my expectations -- WalMart is a "sign of the times", "we can't change the situation so get used to it", "suck it up, after all you can save money shopping there", and so on. NO! NO! NO! There are alternatives!!!!!!! Why are we selling out to an American company -- sure it says "WalMart Canada" -- duh, am I the only one that knows this is an American entity?

A "Manager type" person on the documentary said something about WalMart Canada having its own policies and procedures due to labour laws etc. being different in the US and Canada. The reality is that the majority of employees are paid at the minimum wage level. True, some people make much more then that but they are few and far between.

In our local store there are very few full-time employees -- the preference is to hire part-time employees. Why is that? Could the fact that part-timers can have hours reduced with no notice, no benefits, vacation time (they have to pay vacation pay but DON'T have to give employees vacation time at the time requested by the employee, the poor working conditions for many of the employees, split shifts, etc. etc. etc. be part of the answer?

The propaganda is that by "allowing" for part-time employees, these employees can pursue their education and still have employment; mothers of school age children can work and still be at home with their children most of the time (yeah, right, guess when these women are scheduled!); they "accommodate" the needs of disabled employees by offering them "gainful eployment". . . .

I'm ranting, I'm really frustrated to what has occurred in our community since it has become a "WalMart town". I'm told I'm trying to live in the past . . . that's not the case. I'm told I have to change as the world is changing . . . does that mean small business is now dead? With a WalMart in the community small business is dead. What is wrong with people that they can't see what's happening? Why is it that in many of the small towns who have "welcomed" WalMart, the locally owned small businesses disappear?

Can I say I will NEVER shop at WalMart again? No I can't. We used to have 2 fabric/craft stores in our downtown core -- we don't have any left. Now if a person is a sewer or knitter or crocheter or does other handcrafts, they have to either travel out to WalMart, or the only fabric store in the "Golden Mile" or one that is located outside of town wherre access is limited to those who drive.

I am "anti WalMart". There so called "community service" is nothing less then any business would provide. Its just that they do it more loudly. Photo ops are "expected" it seems if they contribute to the community in any way. Most of us "old ones" have contributed to the community for years -- our reward was our personal satisfaction that we were able to help others. We didn't seek "photo ops" or other recognition. We helped because we knew it was the right thing to do.

At this point I will stop my tirade. I hope I have added something to this discussion. Many of my points have been expressed by others, perhaps there is something in this post which will be thought provoking to others.

I continue to be appalled at the arrogance of Wal~Mart, they continue to disregard global concerns and exasperate all legal processes that suggest that most communities do not support, in principle, the big box monopoly. Add to this concern all the violations of basic civil liberties, environmental hazards, labour standards it is with a rich smile that I acknowledge the citizens of Guelph as they clean their political baggage voting out all those who supported Wal~Mart.

In British Columbia, especially in the Lower Mainland I continue to send the message to our Unionized workers the pains of shopping at Wal~Mart. It is a struggle as the dollar is thin, but it will only get thinner if we don't recognize today the bottom line of Wal~Mart means profit before people.

As a Union activist I encourage anyone in British Columbia who might need help to prevent Wal~Mart from moving into their community to drop me an email at nwoods@caw111.com and perhaps together we could discuss and formulate a plan of action to stop Wal~Mart from ruining our communities.

I don't understand why people think Wal-Mart associates are underpaid. I've worked at Wal-Mart and Canadian Tire, and i made almost a dollar more starting at Wal-Mart, then i did at Canadian Tire for over a year.

we all must buy our goods somewhere and when a big box store moves into a community they essentially move most of the existing stores under their roof closing down hundreds of little shops.

This is a rather ugly event I have witnessed although I had no stake in the matter. What happened was the charm of the market place was destroyed. Hundreds of interesting small business folded, sure prices came down but at a terrible cost.

One reason I went there was to browse these little shops and their curious ways, it could be quite exciting. I never go there now, big box stores have destroyed my curiosity about the market place. I only go to big box stores because I have no choice.

I cannot understand the obsession with Wal-mart
and it's low prices and why they are something that people are happy to take advantage knowing that they are paid with the sweat shop labour from unregulated workers from overseas. Does this not bother people? Is it more important that you were able to purchase your Q-tips for 15 cents less? Go figure. Is this where we want to be heading?

What a typical CBC production... a waste of my tax dollars. I watched it all the way through with the faint hope that there would actually be a balanced point of view. All we got was pro union junk... again. I thought journalism was suppossed to be balanced with facts and not full of conjecture. Way to go CBC you showed your bias once again