So I just returned from a week holiday with my 2 boys and husband. Now I use the term holiday loosely because holidays are meant to be relaxing but when you are looking after 3 males it is anything but relaxing. Thank god for my girls weekend, that was a holiday. This trip was not about me it was about creating memories for my sons. One day we ventured up to Sylvan Lake for the day and while the boys were in the sport store I cruised into the women boutiques to talk to the owners. The common theme among them were that most stores have been affected by the recession but the main culprit to their low sales was the super center Walmart moved in to Sylvan. Now I have always despised Walmart, and my hate for that store grows at a rapid pace. North America was built from the back bones of small business and when the big box stores entered the picture the livelihoods of thousands of merchants crumbled and it's happening again. Please support your local business, they need your help.