City council committee to discuss new zoning bylaws for cannabis stores
A city council committee will soon discuss new zoning bylaws for retail cannabis stores.
Walking down Osborne Street, pedestrians have a wide variety of cannabis retailers to choose from.
"Yeah, I've seen a lot pop up over the past couple of years around here," said Natasha Kuzyk, who was walking in Osborne Village.
"I've noticed a steady increase around here. I haven't been paying too much attention, but I have noticed a lot more people smoking out in the open in the area," noted Roth Kensley-Speelman, who was also walking in Osborne Village.
A new City of Winnipeg report said Osborne Village is one of three Winnipeg neighbourhoods to have cannabis retailers within 50 metres of each other.
The report is recommending cannabis bylaws be part of the upcoming City of Winnipeg bylaw review.
John Arbuthnot, the CEO of Delta 9 Cannabis, said the rise in stores could be traced back to when the province dropped its zoning rules in June 2020.
"That competition is becoming quite fierce. It's not uncommon in some areas such as Osborne Village, Corydon as well, to see multiple competitors popping up within only a few block radius," said Arbuthnot.
According to the city, in October 2020, Winnipeg had approximately 14 cannabis stores. As of October 2021, the city said there are now 73.
The increase has caught Councillor Ross Eadie's attention.
"When you have a lot of that, it's giving almost a marijuana district to aspect to it saying this is the sort of societal, cultural image happening in the Osborne Village or whatever," said Eadie.
Along with the density of the stores, another concern is that no zoning bylaw exists to stop stores from opening beside schools and parks.
"No matter what we do to the zoning bylaw in the future, those existing places that are close to schools will remain there. There is not going to be any tool to remove them," noted Eadie.
The idea of tighter restrictions of stores has Winnipeggers split, with some CTV News spoke to saying a little more regulation is needed
"I think that is probably a good idea," said Kensley-Speelman.
"I really can't think of a reason to. If people want access to it, they are going to find it," said Kuzyk.
"I agree with the schools. I think maybe four blocks away from schools," said Phoenix Kawakami.
The zoning bylaws will be discussed at the Property and Development Committee meeting on December 2.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Air quality alerts issued as wildfire smoke spreads east from Western Canada
Wildfires have led Environment Canada to issue air quality advisories for parts of B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories, as forecasters warn the smoke could drift farther east.
Steal a car, lose your driver's licence under new Ontario proposal
Repeat car thieves may face lengthy licence bans under proposed changes to Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act.
Ellen DeGeneres addresses the 'hurtful' end of her talk show in new stand-up set
Ellen DeGeneres is reflecting on how her talk show came to an end in her newest Netflix special, 'Ellen's Last Stand ... Up Tour.'
When you have a moment's notice to evacuate, what do you take?
Knowing what to have at home, or take with you for an evacuation, can be useful and even life-saving.
LIVE UPDATES Michael Cohen will face a bruising cross-examination by Trump's lawyers at the hush money trial
Donald Trump’s fixer-turned-foe returns to the witness stand Tuesday for a bruising round of questioning from the former president’s lawyers.
B.C. brings in law on name changes on day that child killer's new identity revealed
The BC NDP have tabled legislation aimed at stopping people who have committed certain heinous acts from changing their names.
Regulated area for invasive box tree moth expanded to parts of the Maritimes
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has added much of the Maritimes to a regulated area for an invasive species.
Risks of handcuffing someone facedown long known; people die when police training fails to keep up
For decades, police across the United States have been warned that the common tactic of handcuffing someone facedown could turn deadly if officers pin them on the ground with too much pressure or for too long.
A healthy lifestyle can mitigate genetic risk for early death by 62%, study suggests
Even if your genetics put you at greater risk for early death, a healthy lifestyle could help you significantly combat it, according to a new study.