People who live in the West Island don’t have to travel downtown anymore to get their supply of cannabis.
The newest Société québécoise du cannabis (SQDC) store opened this week at a strip mall on Sources Boulevard near St-Louis Avenue in Pointe-Claire.
A spokesperson for the government owned and operated store says this location was chosen because it meets all the legal requirements, including being a certain distance away from schools.
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“That means 250 metres from a high school or any school establishment outside the city of Montreal,” Fabrice Giguère explained to Global News by phone. “And in the city, 150 metres.”
He added that before it opens any outlet, the SQDC works with the community to make sure all concerns are addressed.
Pointe-Claire Mayor John Belvedere says he has no concerns about the store since it’s a legal business and it already has other outlets.
“They met all the zoning requirements,” he said.
Still, he stressed that the city will be monitoring the area.
“We’ve been in contact with the police, we’ve been in contact with public security,” he said. “The police have four people assigned to do regular checks in that area, in the parking lot, and they’ll be watching over the next couple of weeks.”
Business owners in the mall don’t seem bothered by the store. In fact, some see a bright side.
“The more people come to the strip mall, the better for us, the better for all the businesses here,” laughed Le Quartier du Dejeuner owner Costa Arcoudis. “Traffic never hurts.”
There are now five stores selling cannabis products on the island and 36 in the province.
SQDC officials say more could follow.
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