If you are looking to purchase legal cannabis in North Battleford, the area around 114th Street and Territorial Drive will be the place to go later this fall.
Two discretionary use applications were approved at council Monday for the two cannabis retail outlets selected in a lottery process by the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority.
The first application to be approved was for an outlet at 302 - 114th St. This is the proposed location for Curativa Cannabis, which is the retail brand of Envirosafe Chemicals Canada based in North Battleford.
Their proposed retail store would be in the strip mall whose tenants currently include Domino’s Pizza and Taco Time. The Curativa Cannabis store would be situated between the two.
The other application approved Monday was for Unit 104 - 312 Territorial Dr. This is the location of the proposed store of Synergy 5 Investments, the limited partnership representing 13 First Nations.
Their store will be operated under the name 5 Buds Cannabis. According to their business plan submitted to council, the hours of operation are likely to be 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. six days a week, with at least three people on site during operating hours. A proposed draft layout of the store was provided in the council package.
A picture was provided of what a typical exterior of a standalone 5 Buds Cannabis store might look like. However, the North Battleford store would be located in the new strip mall at 312 Territorial Drive, next to Subway.
Both proposed cannabis retail locations meet all the requirements of the zoning bylaw, which was passed in the spring to include retail cannabis provisions. The two locations are within the C4 Regional Commercial District, which has been approved for cannabis retail. Additionally, the two locations do not fall within the 225 metre “buffer zone” from schools, playgrounds, libraries or municipal recreation centres, where cannabis retail stores are prohibited under the zoning bylaw.
Both retailers will be on the same city block, but Director of Planning and Development Jennifer Niesink said this is not an issue. “They are aware they are moving pretty much next to each other,” said Niesink.
The indication from administration is they did not feel the character of the block will be affected by having two cannabis retail locations there, as the two developments will not front the same street.
There was little debate or discussion about the two applications, and their applications were approved unanimously.
In speaking to reporters, Mayor Ryan Bater said “those two businesses have now fulfilled their zoning requirements, so they’re able to do business in those locations approved by council.”
The two businesses must still fulfill their other provincial and federal requirements before they do business there, the mayor indicated.
“Our role is simply to establish the zoning and to approve discretionary use, which we’ve done,” said Bater.
As for the two retailers’ plans to locate their businesses within close proximity to each other, “that’s their business,” said Bater.
