'Why do we need 7?': Stouffville residents and council question cannabis store surge on Main Street

Yorkregion.com
Sept. 7, 2021

“Why do we need seven?” Donna McDowell asked, echoing the question several Stouffville residents are asking about cannabis stores on Main Street.

“It’s overkill, obviously,” Gary Gushue said. “Who wants seven on one street? It’s pointless.”

Several prominent store fronts on Main Street are turning into cannabis shops.

One Plant at the Longo’s plaza was the first pot shop open in town, opening in 2020, with Jolly Green Cannabis joining it earlier this year -- and there are several more on their way.

Miss Jones Cannabis Outposts is opening next to McDonald’s, Tokyo Smoke is opening stores in both Shoppers Drug Mart plazas on the west and east end of Main Street; Your Local Cannabis is planning to open at the old Tipperary Taphouse location, and the old Savex Lottomart at the corner of Main Street and Mill could also turn into a store.

Mayor Iain Lovatt has taken notice of the proliferation of pot shops coming to Stouffville and doesn’t know if it will be long-lasting.

“I am surprised at the number of cannabis stores setting up in Stouffville,” he said. “As a marketing person, I don’t see a market for so many.”

Stouffville, unlike close neighbours such as Markham, Vaughan, Richmond Hill and Newmarket, chose to allow cannabis stores in the municipality in 2019. Once that decision was made, Lovatt said, the town had little input about where the stores go.

“We often find out the same time the public does,” he said.

Lovatt doesn’t regret council’s decision to allow for pot shops in town.

He said it is a legal drug that people are going to use no matter what and that stores are a safe way to distribute to the public.

“It made sense,” he said.

And for those worried about the number of stores, Lovatt said they should wait to see if it is viable.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if there is some attrition.”

 

Ward 6 Coun. Sue Sherban said one of the big problems is landlords in Stouffville are charging too much for rent for things like restaurants to survive. She said the cannabis shops have a lot of money behind them.

“It’s easy for the landlords,” she said. “They get the rent. The market will dictate however many will survive.”

During COVID-19, Sherban referenced absorbent rent as a key factor for restaurants like Stouffville Fish and Chips and the Tipperary Taphouse closing down.

Along with Little Caesars at Tenth Line and Main Street, three restaurants have shut down and now are becoming cannabis stores.

“Do we need them? No. However, it’s what the market dictates,” Sherban said. “To have seven makes no sense.”

At the same time, Sherban said, she hasn’t received calls or emails from residents upset about the situation.   

McDowell said seven is likely a few too many to survive.

Karen, another Stouffville resident who withheld her last name, said the number of stores is way too high in the town.

“We need other businesses,” she said.    

After extensive public consultation in 2019, council made the decision to opt in to allow cannabis retail stores within the municipality. Along with Aurora, they were the only two municipalities in York Region to do so at the time. Georgina recently joined them.

Earlier this year, Rudy Teunison raised alarm bells that Jolly Green Cannabis was opening right next to Tiny Bubbles Childcare.

“We have received many concerns from parents that they will remove children from our daycare if a store opens,” Teunison said at the time.

While council voiced their displeasure with the location of the store, they couldn’t do anything to prevent after opting in to allow cannabis retail stores.