Brampton councillor campaigns for ban on legal retail cannabis stores

Ctvnews.ca
December 4, 2018
Rachael D’Amore

A newly-elected Brampton councillor is making pot her first order of business.

Charmaine Williams, who represents Ward 7 and 8, wants the city to ban retail cannabis sales, claiming the majority of her constituents are on her side.

Williams says she has polled residents in both wards and met with members of the community on the topic.

Brampton city councillor Charmaine Williams places a sign in support of a ban on legal retail cannabis stores in the city.

"They're really concerned so I had to support the community," she said. "Brampton is known as 'The Flower City' and we don't want weed in our garden."

Over the weekend, she knocked on doors, offering to place signs supporting her cause on lawns.

The bright yellow and black signs show a marijuana plant leaf with the words “Not In Our Neighbourhood” -- the title of her campaign effort.

Though the Ontario government has pledged $40 million to help municipalities deal with cannabis legalization over two years, Williams said her constituents are concerned about safety.

“They’re just worried about the proximity to the schools. With the province saying 150 metres, that makes them very concerned,” Williams said.

According to the Cannabis Licence Act, municipalities can opt out of having storefront cannabis stores if they choose, but the one-time decision must be made before Jan. 22, 2019.

Private retail stores are due to launch by April 1, 2019.

As part of the regulations, stores cannot allow anyone under the age of 19 inside, they must be stand-alone establishments and they must have a minimum distance of 150 metres away from schools.

The City of Brampton collected input from residents back in October on whether to allow the retail stores. The results will be included in a city staff report, which is slated to be up for consideration sometime this week.

"All of us have different opinions and we're all really trying to get a good sense of what the community is saying about it and how they're feeling about it. We're still weighing all of our options," Williams told CP24.

"I'm encouraging, on Wednesday at nine-thirty in the morning, anybody who is opposed or for (the stores) to come and voice their opinions because we do want to hear from our communities."

There was mixed reaction on the topic among Brampton residents on Monday.

“The LCBO kind-of store is okay for this, to me, but not anywhere easily available to the kids, nearby their school or something like that,” one resident told CTV News Toronto.

“I don’t like it,” said another. “It brings in a lot of people for drugs.”

Some downtown residents disagreed and said retailers should be allowed to sell the now-legal drug.

“I think it’s a futile fight,” one resident said. “I think eventually they are going to be here. It’s legal. People want it. The stores want to sell it.”

“It requires ID and being above 18 anyways. I don’t buy it, but it’s no different than tobacco in my mind,” another resident said.

But Brampton isn’t the only city looking to opt out.

Richmond Hill and Markham have both made it clear they are not interested in being a part of the process.

Richmond Hill Mayor Dave Barrow told CTV News Toronto in August that he was presented with a petition of more than 1,000 signatures from residents asking him to not allow retail pot shops.

In Markham, council passed a motion rejecting the retail outlets.