Aurora Votes 2026: Mayoral candidates largely agree with findings of cannabis review, but will address concerns

September 18, 2026 · 0 Comments

Council this month could give the formal green light to a series of recommendations made by Aurora’s Cannabis Review Task Force.

Local lawmakers reviewed the recommendations at the Committee level last week, with their recommendations up for final ratification at the final scheduled regular Council meeting of the 2022-2026 term on September 22.

This week, Aurora’s Mayoral candidates were asked how they would assess Aurora’s experience as an opt-in community on cannabis retail, and what they would do to address any concerns heard from residents and businesses.

Here’s how they answered:

SHAWN DEANE – “I concur with the findings presented in the August 27, 2026 Council report, which stated that the Task Force ‘did not find evidence that cannabis retailers generally represent a significant town‑wide public safety or enforcement problem.’ The report also concluded that complaints were not consistent across locations and should therefore be addressed individually rather than through new, broad by‑laws. I agree with this assessment. However, the report did not examine the positive economic contributions these retailers provide to the Town, including tax revenue and local employment. With neighbouring municipalities having opted out of permitting cannabis retail, Aurora will naturally continue to attract additional retailers as our population grows. A complete analysis should include both the operational impacts and the economic benefits associated with these businesses.”

JOHN GALLO – “When Aurora opted into cannabis retail, Council established a framework intended to balance legal access with community concerns. Several years later, I felt it was time to examine how that framework was actually working, which is why I initiated the Cannabis Retail Review Task Force. The purpose was to listen to residents and businesses, review our experience since opting in, and determine whether improvements could be made. I also supported going directly to the community through a public survey so our decisions would be informed by residents’ actual experiences. The concerns I’ve heard are less about whether cannabis should be legal and more about issues such as store locations, concentration, loitering and impacts on neighbouring businesses and residents. The challenge is that municipalities have limited authority because much of cannabis retail regulation rests with the Province and the AGCO. Where Aurora has the ability to act, we should. Where provincial rules limit us, we should advocate for greater municipal input. This review is about learning from our experience and making practical improvements. As Mayor, I would continue that approach: listen, gather evidence, address problems within our authority and advocate for change where the current provincial framework isn’t working for our community.”

TOM MRAKAS – “Aurora was one of the first municipalities in York Region to opt in to retail cannabis, back in 2019. As a result, we ended up absorbing a disproportionate share of stores relative to our size — well over a dozen in a town of roughly 66,000 people. That concentration is the concern I hear most from residents and businesses: too many storefronts clustered in some areas, and real questions about whether our market is actually saturated. Business owners are competing in an uneven playing field, and residents in the most affected neighbourhoods are frustrated by the sheer density of outlets. I support Council’s push to have the Province and the AGCO stop accepting new cannabis retail applications for Aurora and to look seriously at a cap on the number of stores permitted. Going forward, I will keep pressing the Premier and the Minister for that cap, and keep listening closely to residents in the areas where store concentration is the biggest source of frustration.”

YAFANG SHI – “Council commissioned a survey on cannabis stores in June 2025 and released the report in August 2026, near the end of the current Council’s term. I wonder why the Council did not address this issue earlier. The Cannabis Retail Review Task Force’s Final Findings and Recommendations report identified cannabis store location and concentration as key concerns. The Task Force recommended advocating for greater municipal authority over cannabis retail location, concentration, and neighbourhood compatibility. However, the outcome of such advocacy is not guaranteed to be favourable to local municipalities, nor is it clear whether or when legislative changes would occur. Under the current legislative framework, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has authority over the location and number of cannabis retail stores. The Town and residents have only a small window, 15 days, to respond to an application for a new cannabis store. To respond proactively to new applications, the Town and concerned residents should subscribe to the AGCO’s online portal and monitor new applications. This would allow them to promptly submit public-interest concerns when a new application is filed.”

By Brock Weir
Editor
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter