Niverville council hands cannabis choice to voters

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This article was published 21/08/2019 (1709 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Town of Niverville will now leave it up to the people to decide if retail recreational cannabis will come to town.

During a Tuesday evening council meeting council voted 3-2 in favour of holding a plebiscite that will finally answer the question of whether or not retail cannabis will be sold in Niverville.

The plebiscite will take place at the Niverville town office on Nov. 26.

Councillors Kevin Stott and John Funk voted in favour of a plebiscite, while councillors Nathan Dueck and Chris Wiebe voted against the plebiscite at Tuesday’s meeting.

Mayor Myron Dyck broke the tie, voting in favour.

“We need an answer to this,” Dyck said during the meeting. “I really don’t see how there could be a change to these two fairly entrenched positions on council.

“I would suggest that we should have this plebiscite and that the residents of the town will have the opportunity to have their say.”

In July, Niverville council rejected a conditional use application from Alberta-based cannabis retailer Canna Cabana. Councillors Kevin Stott and John Funk and Mayor Myron Dyck voted no to the application. Councillors Nathan Dueck and Chris Wiebe voted in favour.

After Tuesday’s meeting, Dyck said that in meetings among council members councillors Kevin Stott and John Funk have made it clear they would vote no to any conditional use seeking to allow for retail cannabis in town unless a plebiscite was held, leaving council in what Dyck called a “stalemate.”

Dyck also explained if the town does not hold a plebiscite then Canna Cabana would have to wait one year before they could reapply for a conditional use, unless any of the town councillors submitted a letter indicating why that councillor believes a majority vote could be reached.

Dyck said no letter indicating this has been submitted by any member of council.

Niverville had the option to hold a plebiscite on retail cannabis sales at the same as last October’s municipal election, but chose not to. Dyck claimed on Tuesday that council at that time did not have what they needed to make an informed decision.

“There just was lack of information back then,” he said. “We went to the province and said ‘what information can you bring because we don’t even know what questions to ask of our residents,’ and the province said they were still waiting for answers from the federal government themselves.”

“That is why the bulk of municipalities back then voted to wait, because there just wasn’t enough information. It’s another situation where other levels of government want to ram things down our throat without giving proper information.”

Niverville CAO Eric King confirmed that Canna Cabana has already shown intent to reapply for a conditional use in Niverville.

King also said the plebiscite will be held just as any municipal vote would be held and there will be advanced poles made available.

He said only those who reside in the town and own property can vote, while those who own property in town but don’t live in town will not be able to vote.

Dyck said more information on the plebiscite and how it will work will be released by the town leading up to the Nov. 26 vote.