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19 | O akville B eaver | T hursday,M arch 10,2022 insidehalton.com NOTICE OF CONSTRUCTION For more information about Regional improvement projects: • visit halton.ca; • sign up to receive email notice and updates; or • email accesshalton@halton.ca or call 311. Road Resurfacing Capital Program on Dorval Drive (Reg. Rd. 17), between Upper Middle RoadWest (Reg. Rd. 38) and North Service RoadWest in the Town of Oakville NOTICE OF CONSTRUCTION Project number: PR-3342C Scheduled Start Date: March 2022 Scheduled Completion Date: August 2022 PR-3342CDORVAL DR (REG RD 17) UPPE R MID DLE R D W MONAS TERY M O N TR O S E A BB E Y D R OL D M O N KS A BB E Y LN PA SS AG E (REG RD 38 ) DR OAKVILLE 38 Gary Carr Regional Chair Meetings at Halton Region Regional Council meetings are taking place through web conferencing until further notice. Videos will be posted to halton.ca. Please contact us, as soon as possible, if you have any accessibility needs at Halton Region events ormeetings. 03 10 22 Get outdoors and get active this March Break Staying physically active is an important part of a healthy lifestyle and overall well-being - it boosts energy levels, can improve sleep and reduce stress. As families across Halton get ready for March Break, I encourage everyone to have some active outdoor fun! Our communities have many trails, activities and natural spaces to enjoy. Visit halton.ca or your local Municipality's website to get ideas and start planning! March Break is also the perfect time for you or your family to get the COVID-19 vaccine. There are many options available, including our Community and Paediatric clinics - featuring our team of Halton Heroes and a friendly, highly skilled clinic staff! To learn more, visit halton.ca/COVIDvaccines. Oakville council has upheld its ban on cannabis retail stores within the town. During a Monday, Feb. 28 meeting coun- cillors voted to receive a report on current legislation related to cannabis stores and their status in Halton and Ontario but did not hold a vote on whether cannabis stores should be allowed to take root in Oakville. As such the current ban remains in place. Ward 1 Coun. Sean O'Meara noted that while he doesn't believe the will currently exists on council to overturn the ban, he hopes that will change in the future. "I don't think this will make or break us either way. I don't think the sky has fallen in the municipalities that have opted in," he said. "I do believe we should be moving for- ward and turning a page on this and just let- ting it operate like any other business we have." Shortly after the legalization of cannabis in 2018 the province provided municipali- ties the opportunity to opt in or out of hav- ing private retail cannabis stores within their borders. Oakville opted out in January 2019. However, Burlington, Milton and Halton Hills opted in. At the time Oakville council- lors voiced concerns about municipalities having no control over where cannabis stores are located or how they are regulat- ed. The health impacts of marijuana on youth was a concern for others. In the report presented to council, Jim Barry, director of the town's Municipal En- forcement noted that as of Jan. 7, 2021 there are 348 municipalities in Ontario that per- mit cannabis retail stores and 66, including Oakville, that do not. Barry said Burlington has 22 cannabis stores authorized with six additional store applications in progress while Milton has 10 cannabis stores with two applications in progress and Halton Hills has eight stores with four applications in progress. The report also pointed out that Hamil- ton and Brampton both permit cannabis stores while Mississauga does not. When it comes to online sales, Barry said, the Ontario Cannabis Store offers same day delivery in various municipali- ties, including Oakville. The report found that while provincial regulation prohibits municipalities from li- censing or zoning cannabis retail stores and cannabis stores would be permitted in most areas if the town opted in, the province would require cannabis stores to be 150 me- tres away from schools. The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has also said that an appli- cant is not eligible for a cannabis retail store if it is not in the public interest based on the needs and wishes of the people who live in the municipality where the proposed store would be located. Barry said that when a cannabis store is proposed, area residents and the munici- pality are informed and then have 15 calen- dar days to make their case to the province as to why the store is not appropriate for that location. When it came to complaints about the re- tail stores, Barry said, the AGCO received six complaints about Halton stores in 2020 and 18 complaints in 2021. Some complaints focused on store opera- tions and included: • purchase of cannabis exceeding the dai- ly limit • use of cannabis by an employee during work hours. Other complaints focused on advertising with concerns raised about cannabis adver- tising being accessible to people under the age of 19. Still other complaints revolved around store holiday hours, dissatisfaction with the product, store location, and a failure to observe COVID-19 precautions. It is unclear if the AGCO found merit in all these complaints. Oakville Mayor Rob Burton said during the meeting that council can revisit the ban at any point in the future if council so de- sires. Burton has emphasized there is no going back if Oakville opts in. BAN ON CANNABIS STORES REMAINS IN PLACE The ban on retail cannabis stores in Oakville remains in effect. Mike Barrett/Metroland NEWS DAVID LEA dlea@metroland.com