BONG STORE DECISION ISN'T DISCRIMINATION

Whether or not you support the rejection of the Hemporium store, you
have to shake your head at claims made by owner Dave Singh. The
Hemporium store was open for only three days before the District of
Maple Ridge closed it because he didn't have a business licence.
After the store was closed the district then rejected his business
licence application.

Brock McDonald, director of business licencing, permits and bylaws,
said the business licence was rejected because of what the business
was selling.

Items the store was selling included bongs, pipes, rolling papers and
other things Mayor Gord Robson has described as "drug paraphernalia"
in Maple Ridge.

Singh said he will appeal the decision to Maple Ridge council and if
that doesn't work he'll take the district to court.

He might even have a case.

"We are not selling any kind of illegal things," he said of his store.

Singh said there are "a bunch" of stores in Maple Ridge selling bongs
and pipes and grinders like he had in his store.

"(The district) doesn't have any problem with that and I don't know
why they're making a big issue in my store," he said.

Singh also pointed out there are hydroponic stores that also have
licences in Maple Ridge. He added there are thousands of stores
similar to his that have business licences across the country.

These are all fair comments, but what he told The TIMES next was
pretty strange.

"If my last name was Carpenter, Greenspan or McDonald it would be a
different story," said Singh. "It's total discrimination."

That's right, when you are not getting your way, just pull the race
card out of the deck.

It's a ludicrous suggestion considering the past few years in Maple Ridge.

This community has a task force into drug prevention that has made it
common practice to contact and deter businesses from selling a
variety of items, regardless of the race of the person who owns the store.

McDonald pointed out that earlier this year the district approached a
convenience store owner and asked him to remove drug paraphernalia
products he was selling, which had upset the community. The merchant complied.

When a cry of racism goes out without any facts to back it up, it
hurts the case of people who truly have been victims of racism. Let's
stick with the real issues, which may very well end up in court.

"When we get those concerns we certainly do approach the merchant and
ask that they voluntarily get rid of those," said McDonald.

But you can't do that with the Hemporium, which is all about selling
those items.