By Gagandeep Ghuman
Published: May 20, 2019
Stick to the bylaws and keep the distance.
Sea to Sky School District, Capilano University, and Vancouver Coastal Health want the council to reject a variance application for a proposed cannabis store in the Chieftain Plaza.
The district staff is also recommending council reject the variance application.
Chieftain Cannabis is being proposed at 38243 Cleveland Avenue, next to the Squamish Liquor Store in the Chieftain Plaza.
The store is being proposed by Heartland Group, which owns and operates over 10 liquor stores in Lower Mainland, including the Squamish Liquor store.
The group wants three variances from council:
(a): to reduce the minimum distance between a site containing another Cannabis Retail location from 300 metres to 145 metres.
(b): to reduce the minimum distance between a site containing a school and a Cannabis Retail business from 300 metres to 145 metres
(c), to allow for Cannabis Retail to be permitted on a parcel with frontage on Cleveland Avenue.
The proposed Chieftain Cannabis is approximately 145 metres from another cannabis stores council approved last year in Hunter Place.
From one property line to other, it is also approximately 145 metres from École Squamish Elementary and Howe Sound Secondary and approximately 169 metres from École Les Aiglons located on the Capilano University Property at 1150 Carson Place.
District staff says the bylaws were crafted using best practice that were developed in Seattle, Denver, and Vancouver. Seattle and Denver, for example, both employ a 1000 m buffer, while Vancouver implements a 300-metre buffer.
“The intention of this regulatory approach is to reduce the regulatory hurdles for new cannabis retail locations, while limiting the clustering of cannabis retail locations,” according to staff.
Jacquit Stewart, vice-president at Capilano University, is opposed to the variance.
“We remain concerned that the presence of an additional cannabis retail location may negatively affect children, students, employees, and any visitors to our property,” she said.
Mohammad Azim of SD 48 also voiced his opposition to the variance request. “We feel the current setback limit of 300 metres is appropriate and any amendment lowering this limit would be a significant concern that would not be supported by the board.”
Michel Tardif, the director of école Les Aiglons, has expressed similar concerns, and asked council to be aware of the impact their decision can have on young children. The application is also being opposed by Vancouver Coastal Health.
Meantime, the proponents of the Chieftain Cannabis say the proposed location is ‘tucked’ into the plaza and it “does not take away the feel of the entire plaza.”
They also noted that the store will have frosting on all exterior windows which will prevent anyone from seeing inside of the store from the street or sidewalks.
The store plans to open seven days a week, from 9 am to 11 pm and will hire ten employees for this location.
If precedence is anything to go by, the council will likely grant the variance.
In 2016, council granted a variance to a cannabis facility on Tantalus Road, reducing the distance required from a school from 300 metres to 240 metres.
Last year, council approved cannabis retail in Squamish Station Mall by reducing the required distance from schools from 300 metres to 35 metres.
Council will decide on the Chieftain Cannabis application on May 21, this Tuesday.
Al Price says
The submissions by the schools and Vancouver Coastal Health that were tendered for the previous variance application were absolutely embarrassing! Cannot believe they were composed or written and reasoned by people who are supposed to be educators and health care professionals. There was not a single statement or piece of information or reasoning put forward that could reasonably be applied to the decision at hand. All were essentially, ‘we think it is bad, it could harm the children or education.’ with no rhyme or reason or rationale to support their objections.
Linda says
It’s a legal business. I think it will be fine wherever it is put. If you think putting it away from schools is going to deter any one, including kids, from getting any products you better think again. Schools are probably the easiest place to buy drugs or pot. This is just another local business. Deal with it.
Phil Salazar says
Hi Squamish,
My name is Phil Salazar. I’m the manager at Squamish Liquor Store; the organization trying to open a cannabis store in Chieftain Plaza.
We understand everyone’s concerns and realize this is a sensitive issue for a lot of families, individuals, and organizations within the community and we share those concerns as well. Unfortunately, the way Squamish is laid out, it makes it nearly impossible to be in a good retail space that doesn’t require some kind of variance from the District of Squamish.
I think the main concern on people’s mind is high school students gaining access to cannabis. We have been operating a liquor store in the same mall within the same proximity of Howe Sound Secondary with no issues for nearly 10 years. Just last year, some students of Howe Sound Secondary had “Grad Challenge” where two students had to go into a liquor store and while one of them tried to buy liquor, the other student had to film it. Our trained staff refused service to the underage students, kicked them out of the store, I immediately phoned Howe Sound Secondary School, and spoke with the vice principal. She came to the store right away and I reviewed the video surveillance footage with her. She was able to ID the students and we had nipped this Grad Challenge in the bud. This is the same kind of diligence we promise to instill in our cannabis retail operation if given the chance. We’d like to locate our store in Chieftain Plaza not just because it would be of great benefit to us, but we want it out in the open, in a high traffic area to make it easier for Police to patrol, and more difficult for minors to gain access. If we were to locate on a side street hidden from public view, it would make it much easier for minors to hang out undetected so they can wait for someone to purchase it for them.
As a father of two daughters in elementary school, I’ve had to come to terms with the fact that cannabis retail stores are coming to Squamish whether we want them to or not. It’s legal now and the District of Squamish is behind it. What’s most important is that we
a) Educate our children about it and not try to pretend it doesn’t exist by hiding any trace of a licensed cannabis store from them until they turn 19, and
b) Make sure the businesses that are granted licenses to operate a cannabis store are ones that are responsible, proactive, and have trained staff that will ensure it doesn’t get in the wrong hands.
I feel we’ve been able prove to the community for the past 10 years that we are that responsible company with a proven track record selling alcohol. We would love the opportunity to prove it to you again with a cannabis license.
Thanks for reading,
Phil Salazar
Kimberly says
Cannabis is medicinal, its here to stay! Let’s not make a huge fuss about it! I see nothing wrong with a store opening in the area chosen
David Lassmann says
Whether or not a child uses marijuana has little to do with proximity to a legitimate business selling it. Underage people in Squamish were buying and using marijuana as early as the 1960s and there were no legal sellears at all! Where could you put a marijuana store where a teenager could not approach it?