From the specs and the prices, I'd say MEC is probably competitive with the LBSs I frequent but certainly won't put them out of business. Solid lineup but nothing that I would call a screaming deal. I'm about an hour and a half away from the nearest MEC store (Toronto) that stocks the complete lineup, so all else being anywhere close to equal I'd buy a bike from an LBS in town.

The Hold Steady is the closest thing to my ideal if-money-were-no-object winter commuter that I've seen as a stock bike and is the only MEC offering that I would seriously consider buying (it only needs either a full chaincase or belt drive to be as close to freeze-proof and maintenance-free as is practical for any winter bike). But at this point I can't bring myself to pay four figures for a bike that I'm going to continuously destroy with sand and road salt.