Totem is now toten.

[Bring_Back_Shantz]

It kinda sucks and all, but I'd rather they get bought out by Rona (A canadian Company) than Home Depot.

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

Originally posted by Bring_Back_Shantz@Dec 21 2004, 09:06 AM
It kinda sucks and all, but I'd rather they get bought out by Rona (A canadian Company) than Home Depot.

Speaking as a shareholder for Home Depot, I am tempted to agree -- that seems like a hefty price to pay, especially once you consider how close the Rona and Totem stores are to each other.

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

The problem with home depot and rona is the people who work there are only the high school I couldn't find a job elsewhere crowd, who don't really know anything about anything in the store.

[greyshep]

That stinks.

I really enjoy Totem. Way better service, and it was nice to be able to support the little guy as a result.

Hopefully they at least keep the Totem name and feel. Something tells me this wont happen though.

[Bring_Back_Shantz]

I don't know. Like most people said, the totem stores are smaller and have better service. I wouldn't be supprised to see them keep the Totem name. Rona owns lots of names/brands of stores. At the very worst, I can see them changing them to Revy, which since it became Rona, has kept many of the smaller Totem like stores under their Revy Brand.

[Looger]

i don't like it when canadian companies get too big, the government will ALWAYS bail them out of trouble.

which basically means their golden-parachute-incompetent-as-all-hell board members become publicly funded.

can't wait.

[Bring_Back_Shantz]

Somehow I don't think Rona will be getting a bail out any time soon. Air Canada, I can sort of understand, as it is important to have a national airline, but come one man. Serioulsy, in the whole scope of things Rona isn't even that big.

[Looger]

hey, bombardier used to be 'not that big' as well.

canada is big business country, i hate to see it increase.

[Bring_Back_Shantz]

Bomabdier has been Canada's largest industrial based company for years (untill recently). Trust me it has been "That big" for quite a while. That being said, yes they got bailed out. But I can't really think of any other major ones off the top of my head, can you? I'm not trying to be rude, I just want to make the point that there are an incredible ammount of big companies in Canada that have never been bailed out and never will be. There are a few exceptions, but people tend to see that as the rule. I'd be willing to bet this sort of thing happens a lot more in the US than it does here (Amtack comes to mind).

[snowdude]

This is off topic of the thread but i'll go there anyhow. The thing about Bombardier is that as an aerospace comapny (which is now its core buisness) it competes against other aerospace companies the world over that diffrent gov't subasidize. It's main competition in the regional jet market is a Brazilian company and in negeotations governemnts of both Canada and Brazil offter the buyers monetary support to buy from bombardier or its rival....

The support is a standard practice the world over and is more or less needed to keep that industry producing in Canada

[Looger]

it does happen in the states, that is true.

and it can be arhued that bailing out a big company isn't any different than bailing out farmers, etc.

my point is this:

if i was given a choice between companies staying smaller and competitive, and companies getting larger, in general the economy is more malleable when companies are smaller. i'm not saying all work should be done by some guy in his garage. i just wonder sometimes, the reasons behind mergers are typically for more buying power, larger stature in community, etc. but long-term some dependencies creep in.

see japan, 1990s.

[Looger]

as to bombardier they are doing a lot of trains for europe these days, which is good.

[Deelow]

Originally posted by greyshep@Dec 21 2004, 04:53 PM
That stinks.

I really enjoy Totem. Way better service, and it was nice to be able to support the little guy as a result.

Hopefully they at least keep the Totem name and feel. Something tells me this wont happen though.

I hope they don't lose the free popcorn

[Table 5]

Originally posted by fotze@Dec 23 2004, 02:42 PM
I think Air canada is from Quebec and Bombardier too. bet that helps a little.

so is Rona I believe. atleast it was founded in Quebec.....

[Table 5]

Originally posted by greyshep@Dec 21 2004, 11:53 AM
Way better service, and it was nice to be able to support the little guy as a result.

It's somewhat sad that our homogenized retail society has gotten to the point where we now consider a 16 store chain the "little guy".