A cannabis retail store will in fact be opening up shop in Outlook after all, months after it looked like the prospect of such a business had gone up in smoke.
When the Saskatchewan government chose the initial group of 51 proponents by way of a lottery in early 2018 to determine who would receive permits to establish a retail outlet, it also set aside a number of names as ‘runners-up’ in each community in case the business prospects of the originally-selected candidates didn’t pan out.
That was the case in Outlook earlier this year as the original candidate, Dr. Jean Paul Lim, a clinical instructor at the University of British Columbia, withdrew his application according to the SLGA (Saskatchewan Liquor & Gaming Authority). Lim had originally stated that his application to open a store in Outlook – as well as Rosetown and Melfort – had been denied, but he has not responded to requests for further comment.
Outlook had a total of 18 proposals that were eligible for the lottery.
Now, two local residents who were the runners-up in the government’s permit process have come forward and are in the process of setting up shop in Outlook’s downtown business corridor.
Brian & Eddy Spigott, a father/son duo are looking forward to their new venture, and plans are already underway in establishing their storefront at 221 Franklin Street.
Brian appeared in front of Outlook’s town council at their recent meeting last week to speak about their plans, affirming that their business will be community-minded and provide customers with “one less reason to go to Saskatoon”, maintaining a focus on shopping local.
The younger Eddy says he and his dad see cannabis as an industry with a lot of potential, and the prospect of opening up a store in their hometown was something that really appealed to them.
“When we first heard of SLGA’s call for Cannabis Retail applicants back in 2018 we jumped at the opportunity,” said Eddy, in an email to The Outlook. “It’s an exciting industry with a lot of untapped potential for entrepreneurs; not just in retail. We feel there is a lot of good to come from the legalization of cannabis and believe in our ability to safely lead our community into this unfamiliar territory.”
At the moment, the Spigotts are working with the Town of Outlook and the SLGA to obtain the appropriate licenses and permits to open their store, and Eddy commends the Town for their support thus far.
“The town has been supportive thus far in our venture, we are conducting our business and permitting like any other company in town and are seeking approval to re-zone our building for Cannabis Retail use,” he said.
Though their goal is to hopefully open the business by mid-December, such a target is contingent on all the right approvals lining up and everything going smoothly. Eddy says they’re looking to ‘go local’ as far as work staff is concerned, expecting to have 4-5 positions to fill and job openings are set to be posted soon.
With cannabis still a controversial topic within some circles, the Spigotts hope that the public engages with them so that they can help provide people with the right facts and information in order to make informed personal choices.
“We look forward to interacting with the public and providing adults age 19+ with access to information they require to make the right decisions for themselves,” said Eddy. “Cannabis is a personal experience, and we intend to provide fact-based information as well as a wide range of products to choose from.”
