Pubdate: Fri, 15 Sep 2017
Source: St. Thomas Times-Journal (CN ON)
Copyright: 2017 Sun Media
Contact: http://www.stthomastimesjournal.com/letters
Website: http://www.stthomastimesjournal.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/953
Author: Vicki Gough
Page: 2

POT STORE NOT WANTED IN DUTTON DUNWICH

Council unanimous in opposition to provincial marijuana plan

It wanted no part of a wind farm imposed on it by Premier Kathleen
Wynne's government against its will.

Now, a Southwestern Ontario municipality wants the Liberal premier to
keep her pot out of its booze store.

Members of the municipal council in Dutton Dunwich, southwest of
London, were emphatic at their latest meeting they don't want legal
marijuana - which the government plans to sell through its Liquor
Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) monopoly - in their liquor and beer
outlet in Dutton.

Coun. Dan McKillop raised the issue "to show that we don't want it
readily available to the young people in our community," he said,
adding: "I'm totally against it."

Mayor Cameron McWilliam, his deputy and councillors Ian Fleck and Mike
Hentz are against the sale of marijuana in the community's liquor
outlet as well.

"I don't want to see it in this municipality at all," Fleck
said.

"I'm opposed to the whole idea of legalized marijuana and everything
that goes with it, so I don't want to see it here in town," Hentz said.

Wynne's Liberals became the first provincial government to roll out
plans for marijuana sales next year, after the federal Liberals
legalize recreational use of the drug, saying pot will be sold in
stand-alone LCBO outlets and its sale limited to buyers 19 and older,
the same as for booze and smokes. But McWilliam questioned how much
research has gone into the provincial plan.

"The concern I also have with the announcement from the province is
that it's just too vague," he said, adding the set-up costs to
regulate the sale of legal pot - many municipalities fear they'll be
stuck with policing and zoning enforcement costs, without a cut of the
financial action - remain unclear.

"I just question if there is any benefit - if it's going to cost more
than we get on taxes - what's the point?" McWilliam said.

Council deferred crafting a zoning bylaw to block legal marijuana
sales until its next meeting Sept. 27.

It's not the first time Dutton-Dunwich has crossed swords with the
Liberals over provincial policies the rural municipality dislikes.

A hotly contested wind farm was imposed on the township, despite a
council resolution opposition wind turbine development on local turf
after a municipal survey of residents came back showing overwhelming
opposition to the highrise-size electricity generators.
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