Local Residents Against McDonald's

VICTORY!

HUMEWOOD TORONTO, CANDADA

On Sept 17th a McDonald's store admitted defeat after a long-running campaign by Toronto residents against a local store being converted into a Drive-Thru.

The Ontario Municipal Board is currently considering new City-wide Drive-Through Bylaws, which has resulted in legal proceedings (see the residents' website at http://www.welivehere.ca for more detail re: the OMB trial)..

Below is the text of a notice in the local McDonalds: (http://www.welivehere.ca/McD.notice.2003.09.17.htm). Posted at 710 St. Clair Ave. W. on 2003/09/17:


Dear Valued Customers,


I would like to thank all my valued customers and neighbours for your
support over the last few years. I appreciated hearing and discussing the
many comments, pros and cons regarding the planned Drive-Thru.

McDonald's Restaurants of Canada has re-evaluated their position and I wish
to inform you that we will not be pursuing a Drive-Thru at this location.

As always, we will continue to strive to be the best McDonald's.

Hope to see you soon!

Ken Lane

President / Lane Enterprises Inc., McDonald's Restaurants - 710 St. Clair
Ave. W.



It should be noted that this climb-down has upset the Corporation. McDonald's have issued a Media Release stating that the Franchisee at 710 St. Clair West does NOT speak for McDonald's of Canada. They are standing by their June decision to adjourn the Superior Court case (re: the planned drive-through on St. Clair) pending the outcome of the OMB ruling on the City-wide Bylaw.

The other great news is that an anti-Drive Thru song: "I Live Here" , by local campaigner Lis Soderberg took first place in the recent Unisong International Song Contest, in the Environment/Human Rights Category <http://www.unisong.com>. (The award includes some cash which will go towards the group's hopefully now-shrinking legal bills, minus a few dollars for the volunteer musicians on that session.). Lis gives her permission for other people to use the song for any similar purposes.

Hear the original song "I Live Here" (4.4MB MP3)

I Live Here

Ronald McDonald is coming to town
But it feels like Goliath the way he comes down
And if you live under his shadow it's hard to get out
Cause he's bigger than everyone else on the street
And it's easy to hang down your head in defeat
But if we stood up as one, what kind of change could we bring about

I don't drive through here
I live here
I don't drive through here
I live here

Ronnie can show you a friendlier side
He'll dangle his toys and invite you inside
His house is on every corner, in every mall
But he wants us to play all the games by his rules
He'll offer the goods, while he takes us for fools
And all of those gifts that he hands out, they aren't free at all

I don't drive through here
I live here
I don't drive through here
I live here

Now we stand here defying
All your plans of denying us
But you never listen, you don't know how to play fair
You push, and you shove, and you don't care

Now Ronnie, you say that you wanna be friends
You go through the motions, but mostly pretend
While legions of lawyers justify all that you do
The profit has spoken, or so you believe
Well we've spoken too, but you didn't receive
Return on the dollar, so not a phone call or a card from you

I don't drive through here
I live here
I don't drive through here
I live here 

© 2002/Soderberg



BACKGROUND

Anti-McDrive Thru Campaigners Win City-Wide Pedestrians' Rights

On Tuesday, 21st May 2002 the Toronto City Council passed the Pedestrian Charter without debate. Toronto is now the first city in Canada to have such a document. 

The Toronto Pedestrian Committee intends to use it to hold the City accountable for all of its decisions that affect pedestrians, and hope that by putting it in the hands of local community groups, they'll have the language and concepts to stake their claims for an improved pedestrian environment in their areas. Already the Committee is working with five local groups. 

Toronto Pedestrian Charter
McDonald's planned to build a drive-thru at its existing location at 710 St. Clair Ave. West at Humewood, west of Christie. 
The St. Clair Neighborhood have set up their own anti-drive thru web site at

www.welivehere.ca



Local press and radio have covered the story. Some of that coverage is available here.

For more info, or to get involved in the campaign, email info@welivehere.ca

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