Two applicants have been in talks with Rideau-Vanier City Councillor Mathieu Fleury.

Come April 1, there could be two pot shops open for business in Ottawa's ByWard Market.

According to Rideau-Vanier City Councillor Mathieu Fleury, he's been speaking with two applicants who won bids in eastern Ontario.

Fleury said he would welcome the shops, but plans on keeping a close eye on exactly where they locate.

"If the product's going to be legal, [we] might as well have the shops to remove the criminal nature around the selling of cannabis," he explained. "I'm favourable to that, but I remain very worried about the model that the province has chosen -- specifically related to clusters."

Fleury has heard that the first shop could be located on York Street at Dalhousie Street -- the former home of barbecue restaurant, the SmoQue Shack.

The councillor added that the applicants are local, but that there are bigger cannabis companies from other parts of Canada, such as Alberta, that are looking to partner with smaller operations in various locations.

The Alcohol and Gaming Comission of Ontario has only officially listed four locations which have been approved for pot shops, and those are in Toronto, St. Catharines and Brampton.

Five pot shop licences were expected to be awarded in eastern Ontario.