After reading the article about the heated discussion between Town of Cochrane councillors over The Quarry site in the Dec. 17 edition of the Cochrane Eagle, I felt I had to respond.
I would be very interested to know what kind of retail stores some of the councillors would like to see in The Quarry site.
I understand some people’s antipathy towards big-box stores, but they do have their uses.
Personally, I was very pleased to see the addition of Staples and Sport Chek and the new Canadian Tire is a great store with a much larger selection than the old one.
We don’t need more nail salons or hairdressers – we need the kinds of stores that offer a good selection of goods at good price points for the families that currently live or are contemplating living in Cochrane. I love the towels and bath products offered in the historical downtown area.
However, I cannot afford them (nice wedding gifts though), so go into Calgary for my purchases. I cannot find the types of light bulbs that I need for my new home (I guess Calbridge doesn’t buy in Cochrane either) so once again I have to go into Calgary – Rona and Home Depot both sell them.
Finally, I have always been concerned that the tax base in Cochrane is overly reliant on the residential component of the town (hopefully – this is not so). The industrial area of Cochrane (where The Quarry is located) – is not pretty, but it does provide some needed tax dollars– heaven help us if the sawmill ever moved out!
Both my husband and I love living in Cochrane. It is a beautiful spot – nothing can take away the mountain views or the scenic river walkways. A few amenities would only improve life here (in my opinion, for what it’s worth). I would love next Christmas to be able to do all of my shopping locally and not just for a few incidentals. In closing, I would like to thank all members of the town council for their hard work during the year. Dissension is part of our democratic process – it’s very nice to know that council has the best interests of the town at heart. Obviously, not everyone shares the same viewpoint – this is just mine.
Happy Christmas to you all.
