City council to consider an application for a third cannabis retail store in Swift Current
The City of Swift Current is considering an application for the establishment of a third cannabis retail store in the downtown business area.
Council members approved a motion at a regular council meeting on April 18 to give notice of their intention to consider this discretionary use.
City General Manager of Planning and Development Marty Salberg told the meeting an application was received from The Grass Hut Cannabis Company for a changeof-use development permit.
The proposed cannabis retail store will be located at 42D Central Avenue North in a small vacant retail space within the old Royal Bank of Canada building, which is a prominent historic landmark on Central Avenue North.
“I think it was in 2018 the province allowed two permits in Swift Current to actually sell retail cannabis, and those two permits were applied for and successfully approved by the province,” he said. “And we had at that time agreed to allow cannabis retail as a discretionary use in the downtown commercial core.”
The Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA) is responsible for the distribution and sale of recreation cannabis in the province. Salberg noted there has been a change to the regulatory approach in
the province since the issuing of cannabis retail permits started.
“Since that time the province has indicated that there really is an open market on cannabis retail now,” he said. “It’s a legal business and there’s no specific number of permits that they will issue within any municipality. They did indicate as a province in their regulations that prior to SLGA approving any permit, it has to have approval by the municipality and this is one of the steps in that process.”
The City of Swift Current approved an amendment to the zoning bylaws in 2018 to clearly delineate the areas where cannabis retail stores are allowed to operate. It is a discretionary use within the DC2-C1 Direct Control Central Downtown District.
“Under the City’s Zoning Bylaw No. 24
2014, any proposed discretionary use requires approval by council resolution,” he said. “Additional procedures, including a public hearing, are also required to ensure council considers whether the proposed development conforms to the bylaw’s site regulations and development standards, will not be a source of nuisance or endanger the public, and will not impede the orderly development of the surrounding property.”
Councillor Leanne Tuntland-Wiebe said she did some searching and noticed that all the smaller cities in Saskatchewan have three cannabis stores, except for Estevan and Swift Current. She therefore wondered if that might be the trend.
Salberg said in response that the free market will probably be responsible for determining the number of cannabis retail stores that are able to operate in a community.
“I don’t know how they differentiate themselves from one another,” he said. “I know there’s been a lot of interest in other zones as well as our downtown, but we’ve made it pretty clear at this point in time it’s in our downtown core.”
He added that there seemingly have been no issues with regard to the operation of the two existing cannabis retail stores in Swift Current.
“I am happy to report though that we have had in my knowledge no real concerns since the two retail stores have opened up,” he said. “At the beginning, four years ago, there’s always a little wonderment at how it will all work, but we’ve from our area haven’t had any concerns or really complaints. So I guess the free market will determine how many cannabis shops will survive.”
This development permit application by The Grass Hut Cannabis Company will be reviewed by the City’s Planning and Development Division, as well as other City departments and external agencies. The public consultation process for this application will include public newspaper notices, mailing of notices to all assessed property owners within a 75-metre radius of the proposed development, and posting of the notice on the City website. There will also be a public hearing during the regular City council meeting on May 16. Council will then make its decision about this application at the May 30 regular council meeting.