The public hearings for Burnaby’s first two proposed cannabis stores were dominated by what a provincial union executive called “misinformation and fear mongering.”
The two potential pot shops, both of which would be government-owned, were met with fierce opposition by local residents, who stoked fear about the crowds the cannabis stores would attract.
“I was very disappointed tonight by the misinformation and fear mongering by speakers opposed to these stores,” tweeted Kari Michaels, executive vice-president of the B.C. Government Employees Union, which represents staff at BC Cannabis Stores. “I hope Burnaby approves both.”
Michaels was one of just a handful of people who spoke or wrote in favour of the two stores, which, if approved, will open in the Old Orchard Shopping Centre in Metrotown and the Kings Crossing development in Edmonds.
Current city policies only permit one BC Cannabis Store in each of the four town centres, meaning the two combined would hit the limit for South Burnaby. No store has yet been proposed for either the Lougheed or Brentwood town centres.
Those who spoke against the stores included local residents and strata council presidents, as well as members of Burnaby First, a right-wing municipal and school board slate opposed to cannabis legalization.
Nearly 200 attendees packed the online Zoom meeting, while others phoned in. More than 220 letters were submitted between the two stores, though about three-quarters of those were aimed at the Edmonds store.
Some speakers made vague insinuations about the impact the pot shops would have in their community, saying the stores would make the community less safe. Others were more explicit, suggesting property crime would increase and illegal drug dealers would return to the area.
Parents said they were afraid the stores would expose their children and teenagers to cannabis, saying the shops shouldn’t be close to libraries or community centres. (The Edmonds Community Centre is about 400 metres away, according to Google Maps.)
Others pushed back against comparisons to nearby liquor stores, saying the cannabis stores would attract different crowds.
But two BCGEU staff, including Michaels, spoke out against the popular sentiment at the public hearing.
Amber Keane, who also lives in Burnaby, said the stores would provide “unionized jobs that provide equitable wages for the community. They lift people out of poverty. They provide reasonable hours, breaks, pensions, benefits.”
“I also don’t agree that having a cannabis store in the area is a safety concern. These are trained, accountable staff that do not sell to minors,” Keane said. “Government cannabis stores stop the black market and, in fact, makes it safer for our communities, because it gets (cannabis sales) out of the hands of gangs.”
Keane said she has no safety concerns around government cannabis stores when it comes to her own two teenagers.
The matter will return to council for a vote on Sept. 14. If approved, they would be the first to provincially owned pot shops in Metro Vancouver.
