A second cannabis retailer could soon be open in Estevan.
Estevan city council gave first reading at an open meeting Jan. 25 to an amendment to the city’s cannabis control bylaw. The amendment, if given final approval, would allow cannabis retailers to be located on Sixth Street from 13th Avenue to Souris Avenue South, and on Souris Avenue South from Sixth Street to Fourth Street.
In a report to council, the city’s land development services division wrote that the city recently received an inquiry regarding a possible cannabis retail store, to be located in the 1100-block of Sixth Street, on the truck route and near the downtown area.
When the cannabis retail bylaw was first established by the city in 2018, stores were limited to commercial areas within arterial roads: Kensington Avenue, King Street, Fourth Street and a portion of 13th Avenue.
The affected portion of Sixth Street is similar to those roads for traffic, the report from land development said.
The bylaw also says retailers could be no closer than 200 metres from a school, which would not be an issue for this application. The store has to be clearly visible from the roadway and it has to be conformant with the city’s character and appearance requirements.
In a letter to council, Police Chief Paul Ladouceur said the purpose of the initial location restrictions was for the city to proceed carefully for initial legalization and to allow time to review local impacts of cannabis retail.
The current retailer, Fire and Flower Cannabis, is located in a strip mall off of Kensington Avenue.
“The current retail store has not caused any concern for police and has not impacted police operations in any significant way,” said Ladouceur, who does not foresee any concerns relating to this location of a second retail outlet.
He pointed out this application is from Moonlit Cannabis, which has a location in Carlyle.
Ladouceur suggested the bylaw remain as is, with an addition such as “any other locations deemed appropriate by council on a case-by-case basis.”
Councillor Shelly Veroba suggested that it’s important to have cannabis shops that are visible, but she echoed Ladouceur’s statement that the current shop hasn’t caused any problems in more than two years.
Councillor Travis Frank added council spent a lot of time discussing possible locations for cannabis retailers. He believes the Sixth Street location fits for a location, but he also questioned whether council wants to always discuss locations if they’re off the truck route.
The bylaw will be discussed again at the Feb. 22 meeting, giving the public a chance to provide feedback. It will need second and third reading before being approved.
