The province has announced the successful applicants who will operate cannabis retail stores in the province.
Those selected include two applicants who will operate the retail stores in North Battleford and one applicant for the retail store in Battleford.
In North Battleford, one permit has been allocated to North Battleford-based Envirosafe Chemicals Canada. The other is allocated to Synergy Five Investments LP, an investment company owned by five Saskatchewan First Nation organizations. Synergy Five has also been awarded permits in Warman and Yorkton.
In Battleford, the permit has been awarded to Prairie Sky Cannabis Inc., which is Saskatchewan based. Prairie Sky also was awarded permits in Estevan, Moosomin and Martensville.
There is a Battlefords connection to the permit awarded to Nipawin. That was awarded to Battlefords Agency Tribal Chiefs Investments LP and GreenTec Holdings.
Operators for all 51 cannabis retail store permits throughout the province have now been selected.
The next step is for successful proponents to begin the permitting process, which happens over the next 45 days. As a condition of their permit, retail cannabis permittees must be operating within 12 months of legalization. Permits will not take effect until legalization occurs.
The retailers must be stand-alone operations; alcohol sales will not be permitted.
Also, retail locations are subject to local municipal zoning bylaws. North Battleford is currently in the process of amending its bylaw, and that is expected to come back for final approval at the June 11 council meeting.
In a provincial news release, it was noted more than two-thirds of the successful applicants are from Saskatchewan or have operations in the province.
The winning bidders were picked in a two-phase request for proposal process that began in March. According to the province, the first phase involved screening for qualifications focused on financial and sales/inventory tracking systems, while the second phase consisted of a lottery draw to pick the successful operators. KPMG provided oversight for the whole process.
“This represents the next step in the process of having a privately-operated cannabis retail system carefully regulated by SLGA,” said Minister Responsible for SLGA Gene Makowsky in a statement.
“There was a lot of interest in the public request for proposal process, resulting in many new businesses that will invest in our province.”
