(i

aa

PoCo? More like PotCo

> Marijuana business presses on with new bylaw

Aaron Guillen Staff Reporter

ocated ina strip mall beside Lions

Park, Cannabis Culture operates as a budding entrepreneurship, one of the first marijuana dispensaries of its kind in Port Coquitlam. While the business aims to spread throughout the Lower Mainland, city officials haven't grown fond of the storefront operation. Recently, city council voted through an adjustment to a bylaw, effectively placing added pressure on not only businesses, but the landlords who determine their tenants.

Essentially, the bylaw would place responsibility of illegal actions taken not only on the business operators, but owners of those commercial properties. “Currently, our bylaws only allow us

to give fines to the businesses if they're doing something illegal or running without a business licence,” said Port

(Y Closure, renewal, and remembrance

(¥ Saving Christmas, one sponsor at a time

(¥ DCBAruns social media contest

And more!

ai

Coquitlam mayor Greg Moore to CTV News.

“What we're going to do is [...] also include the land owners. We think the land owners have some responsibility in ensuring what goes on in their building actually is according to bylaws and the laws of this country.”

The details of the bylaw state that, unlike before, the city of Port Coquitlam would charge land owners with a fine before handing one to the business themselves. In addition, the city will have the right to sell the storefront and pocket the income, should businesses not observe the bylaw within five years.

With Cannabis Culture on the defensive, marijuana businesses across the Lower Mainland believe they are being targeted. In late November, their storefront was raided by police with the aim of proving that the business was breaking the Controlled Drugs and

Substances Act. According to local RCMP Constable Jamie Phillipson, evidence was retrieved, but no arrests were made. As their investigation persists, marijuana storefronts should stay aware, as dispensaries such as Cannabis Culture are banned across the nation.

Jodie Emery, spokeswoman for Cannabis Culture, reminded the Tri-City News that they were standing beside their business mandate to stay “committed to defending the civil liberties and freedom of cannabis consumers, growers, and providers by campaigning to end unjust criminalization and persecution.”

According to Emery, the new bylaw isn't the only trial their business has faced. Every day, Cannabis Culture is fined $150 for operating without a business license. In addition, city officials have parked a police car in front of the store day in and day out, further convincing Emery that by scaring customers away, all fingers are

The Coquitlam connection

> Evergreen extension opens doors to public

Mercedes Deutscher News Editor

he long awaited Evergreen extension finally opened to the public on December 2.

Passengers lined up for hours to take a trip on the new line. Celebrations near the new stations, with elegant and cultural plazas and artwork, started at 10:30 a.m.., with the largest of the celebrations taking place at Coquitlam Central Station.

The trains began operating through the Evergreen extension at 12 p.m.

Premier Christy Clark was one of many public figures present at the opening of the extension, and rode on the inaugural ride, along with other government officials and mayors.

“When people start to see how they're going to get home faster, and they see that their travel time is cut by about half, we're going to see people flocking—to not just take this transit, but to become members of the incredible, beautiful communities that are growing here,” Clark said to CTV.

The path that led to the opening of the Evergreen extension was a difficult one. After years of proposals and

planning—including delaying the project in lieu of creating the Canada Line— construction on the line began in 2013. Issues during construction delayed the project to open in Summer 2017. However, with hard work, the train

Photograph by Analyn Cuarto

was able to begin operating this December, and under budget.

The trains to Coquitlam will operate every 3-5 minutes during peak hours, and every 7-8 minutes outside of peak hours.

The opening of the extension

nn Ee ee

™ CANNABIS 4 CULTURE

Image via tricitynews.com

being pointed to businesses like theirs as the one at fault.

“The bylaw changes are very disappointing, especially when our dispensary does no harm and helps a lot of people. We even raised $3,000 for veterans with a fundraiser the other day, so we feel we can give back and allow Port Coquitlam to benefit from the opportunity that exists,” she said to Tri-City News.

“We believe in what we're doing, so we don't close down unless the persecution and punishment becomes too heavy and harmful to our peaceful people who work in and operate the franchise locations. We make sure there are lawyers on retainer for every location to cover the costs of any arrested employees and to challenge the law in court when needed. That’s the way all cannabis law reform has been won in Canada. We believe in peaceful civil disobedience to demonstrate what legalization should look like.”

also marked a milestone for Metro Vancouver and TransLink. Now that the Evergreen is operating, the SkyTrain network is the longest automated rapid transit network in the world. Evergreen will also lead to changes in traffic around the entire transit network. The 97 B-line will cease to operate, as Evergreen replaces its service route. Commercial-Broadway and Lougheed will also be experiencing more traffic in the next several weeks, as the two are the connections between the Expo line and Millennium line. TransLink began preparing for the changes in traffic in October by dividing the Expo line to have two terminus stations (King George and Production Way- University). Passengers can expect trains to Coquitlam to be crowded in the first few weeks of their operation before leveling off to normal levels. “[The Evergreen Line] can be seen as a beginning for how we're going to be investing in transit, particularly in Vancouver, like with the Broadway subway line,” said Isaiah Bemrose-Fetter, a transit user, to the Vancouver Sun. “We so need it.”