Plea for plebiscite to stop cannabis store in Altona, Man., goes to town council
Petition arrives after town council already approved cannabis store
An Altona citizen group is pushing for a plebiscite before cannabis is legally sold in the Pembina Valley town.
The town has already approved a pot shop. But a group of citizens emerged last week with a petition to try to stop the store from opening, citing safety concerns and claiming cannabis sales will negatively impact the community.
The petition was submitted to the town office Thursday, the town said in a press release.
The petition, which Altona Mayor Al Friesen told CBC News needed 620 signatures — 20 per cent of eligible voters — calls for a plebiscite that asks, "Should licensed retail cannabis stores be allowed in Altona?"
Friesen had not seen the petition prior to speaking with CBC Radio Noon host Marjorie Dowhos Monday, but he expects the petition received more than the minimum required signatures.
Before a plebiscite can officially be called, town administration must have 30 days to review a petition to make sure everything checks out. Then it will be presented to town council again at its meeting on Feb. 25 for a second look. If deemed sufficient, council could set a date for a town vote on the matter of retail cannabis.
Though there is a process to go through, Friesen said a plebiscite is likely.
Alberta-based Westleaf Inc. was initially expected to set up shop in Altona but the company bailed. That decision was made for reasons other than the petition, according to Friesen.
"They indicated that they were no longer as actively pursuing retail opportunities," Friesen said.
"According to our conversation with them, the retail model for cannabis is tough these days... So they are regrouping and determining how to proceed."
Now another retailer from Manitoba — a registered numbered company — has stepped up, said Friesen.
The Manitoba government set a goal that 90 per cent of Manitobans should be within a 30-minute drive of legal weed, within two years after legalization in October, 2018.
Altona was not one of eight Manitoba communities to hold a plebiscite about retail cannabis before legalization.
With files from Marjorie Dowhos