Port Coquitlam’s fourth cannabis shop opens today (Friday).
The BC Cannabis Store — located at 4110-1971 Lougheed Hwy., close to No Frills — is the second government-run outlet in the city.
And it’s the province’s seventh BC Cannabis Store to open this year, totalling 32 government-operated dispensaries in B.C.
The BC Liquor Distribution Branch, the operator of BC Cannabis stores, is the only wholesale distributor of non-medical cannabis in the province.
At 3,500 sq. ft., the new PoCo shop is about half the size of the unit at 985 Nicola Ave., by Home Depot; however, that BC Cannabis store includes a retail area, as well as space for administration, storage and training for BC Cannabis Store employees.
“This is the second store to open in Port Coquitlam and we are looking forward to continuing to serve the community,” said Kevin Satterfield, director of retail operations. “The Oxford Crossing Shopping Centre location will be our fourth store in Metro Vancouver as we also have stores in New Westminster and Burnaby.”
“Our cannabis consultants undergo extensive training and are eager to guide customers to a purchase that meets their needs while reinforcing the values of responsible use and safety,” Satterfield added in the news release.
The Oxford site will have four full-time unionized staff, as well as eight auxiliary employees selling edibles, extracts, topicals, dried cannabis flower oils, capsules and pre-rolls.
It will be open Monday to Thursday fro 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The second BC Cannabis Store in PoCo comes two months after The bohemian, a private cannabis retailer, opened on St. Johns Street in Port Moody.
burb, which is also privately held, owns the other two cannabis stores in Port Coquitlam, as well as an outlet in Suter Brook in Port Moody. Kiaro also has a shop along St. Johns Street.
Meanwhile, Coquitlam city hall will hold a public hearing on Monday (Dec. 13) on its proposed regulations and policies for cannabis retail and production.
City staff are recommending six shops in the first intake: two for City Centre and one each in the neighbourhoods of Burquitlam, Lougheed, Austin Heights and Maillardville.
If approved by council, entrepreneurs will have from Jan. 4 to 14, 2022, to submit their bids to the city to set up cannabis dispensaries.
Successful applicants will need to locate their cannabis shops 150 m away from schools, while operators of cannabis production and processing facilities will require a 200 m buffer from “sensitive land uses” — residential areas, schools, parks and childminding centres.
To have your say about Coquitlam’s proposed cannabis regulatory framework, email the clerk’s office at clerks@coquitlam.ca or register to speak at Monday night’s meeting via coquitlam.ca/publichearing.
