Grande Prairie cannabis retail stores closer to opening

Cannabis retail locations are on their way to be being open this fall in Grande Prairie with 10 of the possible 15 businesses receiving development permits.
 
The permits are the first part of the process with proposed stores still needing to have a business license and an Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission license. Once they receive those two pieces of paper, the owners could be flying high as they are legally able to open their doors on October 17, 2018.
 
Development Permitting Supervisor for the City, Stuart Wright says each one of the development permit locations is available for the public to see for 21-days and people can object to the proposed locations. There hasn’t been much opposition to the locations that have already received their permits, according to Wright.
 
“Typically, adjacent commercial property owners generally don’t have issues compared to residents that may have issues.”

Wright explains that others are still working on getting their development permit.
 
“We have possibly two or three (businesses) that are still in a kind-of limbo still because they are still trying to find locations.”
 
Although the 10 were able to get through City Administration with ease, a few others weren’t so lucky. Two proposed cannabis retail business owners were refused their locations on Tuesday morning. A possible location near Country Club Estates off of 68 Avenue and another near the Crown and Anchor Pub on 100 Street needed City Committee approval due to the zoning in those areas.
 
“They will retain their position in the top 15 to receive a business license but they have to decide on their options. Come January, if they don’t have their business license, they would lose their opportunity to open a store,” said Wright.
 
Multiple letters of objection, as well as people voicing their concerns, were presented to the committee. Noise, lingering smell, and location in relation to liquor stores were among the many reasons people from the area were not willing to welcome the new business to their neighbourhoods.
 
Development permits have been issued to the following locations:

• 10016 – 102 Avenue
• 11109 – 100 Street
• 10012 – 99 Avenue 
• 9702 – 100 Street
• 11535 – Westgate Drive
• 9824 – 100 Avenue
• 10126 – 120 Avenue 
• 9927 – 116 Avenue 
• 10940 – 102 Avenue
• 10518 – 100 Avenue