Ontario’s first four pot shops to be located in Toronto, Kingston, Guelph and Thunder Bay
Toronto’s first pot shop within a kilometre of four schools, in plaza with tutoring centre

TheStar.com
April 11, 2018
Kristin Rushowy

The province has announced the locations of its first four marijuana shops — including one in Toronto that will be located in a strip mall alongside a student tutoring service, a kids’ martial arts centre and a McDonald’s.

Toronto’s outlet of the Ontario Cannabis Store, on Gerrard St. E. at Victoria Park Ave., is also within a kilometre of several public schools, including Blantyre elementary about 450 metres south.

The government released the locations online Wednesday afternoon, saying initial stores will also be located in Kingston, Guelph and Thunder Bay.

“My question would be, what was their process to decide that location” in Toronto, said Laurie French, president of the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association.

“Did they consult with the school board?

French said there is “significantly less” distance between the shop and schools than the Toronto District School Board had hoped for, “though I realize how difficult that can be in the city.”

She said school boards have been clear that they wanted to be involved in consultations on locations.

The Guelph store will be on Stone Rd. W. in Kingston, at a mall on Gardiners Rd., and on Harbour Expressway in Thunder Bay.

The Toronto store is in federal Liberal MP Bill Blair’s Scarborough Southwest riding. The former Toronto police chief was tasked by the Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to be the government’s point person on its cannabis legalization that takes effect this summer.

The province says more Ontario Cannabis Store locations “will be communicated over the coming months.”

The Toronto strip mall is a popular hangout for high school students from Malvern Collegiate, as well as Neil McNeil and Notre Dame Catholic high schools.

It has a Kumon tutoring centre, as well as a PRO Martial Arts franchise that promotes anti-bullying among kids.

The Kingston shop is at an outdoor mall, “though it would not be a typical area for students walking around their schools,” French said.

“Our board, our chair, was not made aware of nor involved in the selection of that site,” said French, who is a trustee with the Limestone District School Board.

During its deliberations, the government said it wanted to ensure that the shops are “not … in close proximity to schools.”

The province plans 40 stores by this summer, eventually opening 150 across Ontario by 2020.

The government-controlled stores, and online sales, will be the only legal places to purchase cannabis, and buyers must be at least 19 years of age.

Smoking marijuana in public places, vehicles and offices will be against the law.

The government also announced that Nancy Kennedy has been named president of the Ontario Cannabis Store. She is a veteran senior bureaucrat.