Two new cannabis stores will be coming to Burnaby, BC.

The city of around 250,000 people, located just east of Vancouver, has until now only allowed for two provincially-run BC Cannabis Stores within its boundaries. In July 2024, council recommended a policy change to also allow up to four privately run stores. 

Four applications were received by the city during an intake period in the winter and spring, one for each of the city’s four quadrants.

At a city council meeting on May 27, city staff recommended two of those applications, but did not recommend two others due to their proximity to stores in neighbouring cities. Burnaby zoning bylaws don’t allow cannabis stores to be within one kilometre of another location.

Based on those recommendations, council voted to approve two locations, the first at 180-4112 Lougheed Highway (Seed & Stone – northwest quadrant) and the second at 5906 Kingsway (Seed & Stone – southwest quadrant). 

The city council also approved an amendment to clarify that Burnaby’s distance requirements only relate to stores located within city limits, and to hold off on the Austin Rd and Canada Way locations, pending the outcome of the proposed changes to city zoning bylaw. 

One councillor noted that the distance bylaw was always intended to apply only to stores within Burnaby city limits, not to locations in neighbouring cities like Vancouver to the west and Coquitlam to the east. 

Those two applications were for 204-9855 Austin Road (Kelo Cannabis – northeast quadrant), which is near a store in Coquitlam, and 3722 Canada Way (Local Cannabis – southeast quadrant), located near a store in Vancouver, as well as the application at 5906 Kingsway.

Another BC city in the Metro Vancouver area recently began allowing cannabis stores. Surrey, the second largest city in the province behind Vancouver, with around 700,000 people, recently approved 11 private cannabis stores, the first legal cannabis stores in the city.

Richmond, BC, located west of Surrey and home to more than 200,000 people, does not allow any cannabis retailers.

Wholesale cannabis sales in BC (From the provincial distributor to cannabis stores) in the first three months of 2025 (Q4 2024) were $144 million, up 9% from the same period in 2023, but down slightly from the previous quarter ($146.9 million).

Featured image of a Seed & Stone location in Coquitlam, just outside Burnaby city limits.