THUNDER BAY – Thunder Bay has been promised a cannabis store as the province expands its privatized brick-and-mortar plan to sell marijuana to Ontario consumers.
Kenora, North Bay, Sault Ste. Marie and Timmins will also get outlets.
Eight stores, of the 50 planned, will operate on willing First Nations.
The Greater Toronto Area will get six more, Toronto 13, the West Region 11 and the East Region seven, under the plan, announced on Wednesday.
The province says it has streamlined the licensing process with the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario to select the 42 private cannabis retail stores.
The licensing and store authorization for the on reserve stores will take place in a separate process from the lottery, on a first-come, first-served basis.
The non-reserve stores are expected to open as early as October. "Our government is continuing to take a responsible approach to opening cannabis stores across Ontario, allowing private sector businesses to build a safe and convenient retail system to combat the illegal market," said Minister of Finance Rod Phillips.
"With marginal improvements in national supply, we are proceeding to issue up to 50 new cannabis store licences."
Prospective retailers must demonstrate that they have secured appropriate retail space that could be used as a cannabis retail store and that they have access to enough capital required to open a cannabis retail store. Licensed retail stores may now be opened in any municipality regardless of population size, granted the municipality did not opt-out of the retail cannabis market.
Rejeanne Runciman, owner of Trixxx, welcomes the news that Thunder Bay has been listed as one of the cities to receive a location to sell cannabis.
"It's exciting," she said. "It will be convenient for people instead of ordering online. We have a lot of customers who don’t have credit cards or any means to order off the website, so it will be good for people in town."
Runciman applied for a liscence when the province held its first lottery earlier this year and she said it was disappointing when no locations were chosen in the Northwest.
"It was upsetting and it was upsetting for our customers and for people who can’t order off the website," she said. "When we found we were going to get a location, it was exciting. Whether we get it or not, we are happy for the city."
Runciman said she will allow that first application to stand in the hopes her business will be chosen to sell cannabis products.
Trixxx operates out of three locations in the city, including a store on May Street, a cannabis lounge on Frederica Street, and a location on Algoma Street. If their application is successful, cannabis products will only be permitted to be sold out of one location.
