Surrey, B.C., takes another step closer to opening pot shops in city

Council in Surrey, B.C., voted unanimously on Monday to approve eight operators for 12 different cannabis stores, as B.C.'s second-largest city by population moves closer to having its first legal cannabis outlets.

Two stores will be set up in each of the neighbourhoods of Whalley/City Centre, Guildford, Fleetwood, Newton, South Surrey and Cloverdale, as part of a framework approved by council in April.

Under the framework, cannabis retail stores must set up shop at least 200 metres from schools, community centres, recreation centres and existing cannabis retail or production locations.

There have long been calls for Surrey to allow cannabis retail shops to operate in the city, which is one of the fastest-growing communities in B.C. and Canada, but council opposition in the past meant it only started becoming a reality earlier this year.

The city received 31 expressions of interest to set up cannabis stores, and eight operators were selected after a staff review.

Council voted to approve a staff report on the issue Monday, and the eight operators can now begin to apply for rezoning and business licences to set up shop.

"It wouldn't stop there. There's other various requirements that would be needed ahead of retail operations ... so there's still quite a bit of process that lies ahead," said Joey Brar, the city's general manager of corporate services.

Coun. Linda Annis, who has long been an advocate for cannabis retail in Surrey, told Monday's council meeting that council should consider opening up the market and allowing more than 12 locations across each of Surrey's six town centres.

"Rather than, in future, deciding on a just a number of locations — we should let the market dictate," she said.

City staff had previously said that staff did not want to flood the market too quickly with stores, and reiterated Monday that any future store locations would come only after council direction.

Some cannabis retail advocates have previously warned the lack of access to legal cannabis in Surrey is driving consumers elsewhere, including the black market. 

The province says a study from 2021 found consumers in the Fraser South Health Service Delivery Area, which includes Surrey, were less likely to buy cannabis from legal sources compared to consumers in other regions of B.C.