Harbord Village is a cozy community nestled in the heart of downtown Toronto. It is home to a thriving ecosystem of longtime residents, homeowners, renters, university students and small businesses that serve the needs of these diverse groups. The neighbourhood features many heritage homes, storied buildings and a number of schools. It is situated steps away from Queens Park, and the historic University of Toronto downtown campus. Throughout the community, one sees carefully tended lawns and flowerbeds, smiling residents with a strong sense of civic pride, and a variety of local businesses that fit well into the fabric of Harbord Village.
CAFE is one such business. Our 104 Harbord St. location opened up in 2017, and was the first cannabis dispensary in the area. In recent years, cannabis has become more widely accepted, due to increased awareness of its potential benefits as a therapeutic, medicinal and recreational aid. The opening of our CAFE store was eagerly anticipated, and we have had the honour of serving thousands of people, both residents of Harbord Village, and those visiting from elsewhere, over the last five years.
Over time, CAFE has become part of Harbord Village in so many ways. We participate in annual community initiatives such as The Coldest Night of the Year Walkathon, Pumpkin Fest, and Community Garden via our colourful flower beds in front of our store! Our cozy patio is a hit in the summer, with many neighbourhood residents stopping in for a refreshing glass of our wildly popular infused iced Wesley Tea. We also spearhead spring and fall community cleanups, with staff members and volunteers scouring the streets and collecting discarded trash and refuse. We hand out free turkeys at Thanksgiving, and hold annual food and toy drives in December, matching donations and ensuring these get sent to local charity organizations we partner with. CAFE very much values being a part of the Harbord Village community, and we do all we can to support growth, and facilitate positive change for those around us.
The sudden and widespread acceptance of cannabis over the last few years has meant an influx in the number of retail stores in Toronto, offering cannabis and accessories. Today, Harbord Village is home to a total of three cannabis retailers, including CAFE! Just last year, Lagoo opened up shop right next door to our 104 CAFE location, and just a few doors down is Canvas Cannabis, with its selection of premium OCS curated flowers and daily discounts on low dosage edibles and beverages. As a pioneer in the cannabis space, particularly in downtown Toronto, CAFE welcomes newcomers such as Lagoo and Canvas, who are of appeal to new cannabis users and those seeking introductory experiences possible with marijuana. Many patrons of these stores have become aware of the positive effects of cannabis in recent years, and may be emboldened to try it for the first time.
Lagoo and Canvas feature edibles with a maximum dosage of 10mg – perfect for a novice user, or someone with a low tolerance when it comes to edible weed. In contrast, CAFE offers premium edible products with dosages from 5mg, all the way up to 1200mg! We are aware that these high dosage products are often the choice of the more experienced cannabis user, or the medical patient with a need for high amounts of THC in order to alleviate pain. Such products are not available at just any cannabis retailer, and we are proud to be one of the first and few dispensaries with such a broad range of marijuana products. In the Harbord Weed Village, we are happy to round out the cannabis offerings available to neighbourhood residents and those from around the city – with the finest selection of premium dried flowers and unique, high THC edibles in the form of chocolates, hard candies, freshly baked goods and even infused tea and coffee based beverages.
We are also happy to educate and inform others in the cannabis space, with our industry-leading ID and age verification processes, and our approach to responsible use and child safety practices. Many retailers have incorporated our strategies into their store operation protocols, leading to an overall greater focus on safety around cannabis in the community. We are proud to be the driving force behind responsible use practices, and will continue to advocate for more education and informed decision making as we continue forward.
