Opposition says Montreal flat-footed on pot regulations

Five boroughs will ban pot use in public places in time for Oct. 17, when recreational cannabis becomes legal, the opposition Ensemble Montréal party announced Wednesday.

St-Laurent, Pierrefonds-Roxboro, St-Léonard, Montreal North and Rivière-des-Prairies — Pointeaux-Trembles are taking action because the city of Montreal has failed to do so, charged Alan DeSousa, the borough mayor of StLaurent and city councillor with Ensemble Montréal.

“The city of Montreal has got to get off their duff and do something,” DeSousa said at a news conference at city hall. “So far, we have heard nothing,” he said.

Rosannie Filato, the member of the executive committee responsible for community development and youth, denied the city is being caught flat-footed and said the administration will unveil its strategy for dealing with the legalization of recreational pot next week.

And she blamed the provincial election for the fact there has been no announcement on how the city plans to handle the issue.

“I don’t know if the opposition realizes it but there has been a new provincial government in power in the past few days and the city must have discussions with the new provincial government, which has announced there could possibly be legislative changes,” she said to journalists at city hall.

Premier-elect François Legault said Tuesday that he would raise the legal age for consuming marijuana to 21.

“So there are discussions we have to have, and we were not at all scooped” by the municipal opposition, Filato said.

She added the city’s policy is to treat cannabis like other forms of smoking, which is banned in hospitals, schools, CEGEPs, universities, daycare centres, bars, restaurants, sport centres, concert halls, restaurant terrasses, playgrounds and on public transportation and in bus shelters.

It is also barred within nine metres of a building or public space where smoking is forbidden, like government buildings and playgrounds.

But DeSousa said Montrealers need to know how they will be affected by the legislative sea change that takes place Oct. 17. “In 14 days marijuana is going to be legal and we have had nothing,” he said.

On Tuesday night, St-Laurent gave notice of its intention to amend to its bylaw on public nuisances to ban the use of cannabis in public places.

Pierrefonds-Roxboro has already banned cannabis consumption in parks.

There are a number of unanswered questions, such as how police will handle cases of people driving under the influence of marijuana, or how much funding the Quebec government will provide to help the city deal with legalization, DeSousa said.

He said he saw no problem with different boroughs having different rules on pot consumption.

“I don’t think it’s an issue where we can have one-size-fits-all,” he said.

“The issues that are particular to Pierrefonds-Roxboro are not the same issues that would resonate in the Plateau,” he added.

Mayor Valérie Plante announced shortly after taking office in November that her administration would set up a consultative committee on the legalization of pot.

Filato said the administration has been following that committee’s recommendations as well as those of public-health authorities.

Plante announced in January that the city wanted pot-smoking banned in public spaces where tobacco use was already forbidden, like playgrounds and sports fields.

Last winter, the city presented its suggestions to a National Assembly committee studying a provincial bill on the legalization of pot.

While the city opposed a general ban in public places, it asked the Quebec government for the right to ban pot at specific events like the Fête des Neiges festival in Parc Jean-Drapeau.

Quebec City, Lévis, Saguenay, StJérôme and St-Jean-sur-Richelieu have already passed bylaws banning pot consumption in public spaces.