SQDC is permanently closing up shop in St. Huber

The Société Québécoise du cannabis (SQDC) will permanently close one of its branches and lay off 11 workers.

This is the first time for a state-owned company that has never closed shop before.

The affected branch in Montreal's Place Saint-Hubert.

The branch will close its doors for customers on March 2. Working hours for employees will end on March 23 – extra time to perform tasks related to closing the branch,

Fabrice Giger, a spokesman for SQDC, called it a “business decision” despite “things going well” at SQDC overall.

But union president David Clement said it was retaliation for a year-and-a-half strike at several union branches.

– This La Presse Canadienne report was translated by CityNews