Guelph, a city of 100,000-plus, is located an hour west of Toronto. Like
many cities its size, Guelph has experienced rapid economic development in the
last several years. And what developing city is complete without a Wal-Mart
Supercenter as its retail hub?
Wal-Mart originally applied in 1995 to the
Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) for a change in zoning of the property next to the
Jesuits, but their request was rejected. They tried again in 1998, and were
again turned away. Like most Goliath-esque entities in this world, the expansive
retail giant has seemingly unlimited financial resources, a whole bevy of
lawyers and as a result, influence matched only by its will to expand.