Public hearing will be held regarding second cannabis retail store

Swift Current City Council is holding a new discretionary use public hearing in connection to the establishment of a second retail cannabis location in downtown Swift Current.

After previously approving an application for a second location back in February, Council is again calling for public input after the permit holders did not proceed with the project at that approved location.

At the August 26 Swift Current City Council meeting, members of the public can attend a public hearing to provide input to a request to operate a cannabis retail location at 212 Central Ave. N., a location right beside the location which was previously approved.

In a report to City Council at their July 29 meeting, council heard the permit holder 102014474 Saskatchewan Inc and their partner Westleaf Retail Inc. have subsequently dissolved their partnership and the former location is no longer under a purchase agreement.

102014474 Saskatchewan Inc. has now entered into a partnership agreement with YSS Corporation/sweet Tree Cannabis Co. and are looking for discretionary use approval to open their location.

As the proposed location in the Central Downtown District needs council’s approval as a discretionary use, the request has triggered a series of additional Zoning Bylaw processes, including the public hearing and notification of all business overruns within a 75 metre radius.

Mayor Denis Perrault wanted to stress the background for this request when contacting nearby businesses.

“I think there would be merit to sharing with the people that are getting a letter that it is actually next door, and it is not that we’re looking at a third location, which the people might misinterpret. It’s still the same second location that was approved by the provincial government.”

Councillor Ron Toles noted that he would like to discuss during a council planning meeting the existing policy of only notifying business owners within a 75 metre radius of a proposed location.

“That to me doesn’t seem like a very big radius. There are people a block away that are effected by it, not just this store but other things that we do. And I would like to us revisit that 75 metre (policy).”

Council will be making their decision on the application at their September 9 regular Council meeting.