Editor:
On the surface the edict of shopping locally appears correct, but it is a fallacy.
Occasionally, I go to Calgary to shop for groceries and fuel for my vehicle, both at prices lower than Canmore.
I visit a specialty shop, attend a sporting event, and enjoy dinner at a favourite restaurant. According to the edict, I am being bad.
At the same time I notice people from Calgary on Canmore's Main Street perusing our unique shops (and maybe making purchases), sipping coffee at a café, renting bicycles, skating on the pond, and admiring the mountain views. According to the edict, they are being equally bad.
Of course, neither resident is being bad.
The immensely important point is that each is enjoying things not available at home or at lower prices, made possible by that wonderful basic aspect of the economy, from its international scope down to the level of communities, i.e. trade.
Prosperity does not come from local shopping nor its siblings of self sufficiency, protectionism and tariffs. Prosperity results from trade.
Incidentally, the shopkeepers of Calgary and Canmore do not care much about the source of income from sales. At the end of the day it is just money in the till.
If advocates of the shop locally edict doubt these arguments, they should carry out an entirely ridiculous project that is consistent with the edict.
They should erect a large sign at the entrance to Canmore that reads: "Calgarians do not enter Canmore to spend your money. Stop, turn around, return to Calgary to spend your money locally there."
Keith Thompson,
Canmore
