CALGARY—The city councillor responsible for Calgary’s Chinatown intends to work with community organizations after some residents protested two cannabis store applications in the neighbourhood.
Councillor Druh Farrell of Ward 7, which includes Chinatown, said she’d heard concerns from representatives of the Calgary Chinese Community Service Association and the Chinatown District Business Improvement Area.
“We’re now aware of their concerns and we’re looking at ways to address it,” she said on Sunday.
About 50 Chinatown residents rallied on Saturday to protest the city’s decision to allow two applications for cannabis stores in their neighbourhood. The group also collected signatures for a petition that asks the city to consider the Chinese community’s culture before signing off on cannabis shops in the area.
Community members said on Saturday that the establishment of cannabis stores goes against traditional Chinese values, and the city never properly consulted with them before allowing the applications.
“Talking about business, we don’t think a cannabis store is aligned with all the other businesses in Chinatown,” said May Han of the Calgary Chinese Union. “We don’t assume (cannabis) will bring unsavoury elements, but we do propose no cannabis stores because it does not align with our culture.”
Calgary’s city council has already established local bylaws to regulate the distances between cannabis stores and other buildings such as schools or liquor stores.
Most neighbourhoods have a minimum separation distance between cannabis stores, Farrell said, but Calgary’s downtown, where Chinatown is located, as well as the East Village, do not.
Both areas are asking for stricter regulations, the councillor added.
“Regulating cannabis is new for Calgary, and it’s discretionary,” she said. “So we can certainly look at their concerns.”
Source: TheStar.com