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Retail cannabis operation in Chemainus given first and second reading on rezoning application

Kyle Cheyne, formerly of Leaf Compassion, aims to set up at former Carlos Place
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The former Carlos Place on Chemainus Road is where Kyle Cheyne’s proposed Platinum Cannabis outlet will be located. (Photo by Don Bodger)

North Cowichan council gave first and second reading during its regular meeting June 17 to a rezoning application to allow retail cannabis sales at 9568 Chemainus Rd. despite some concern about the potential impacts of the application.

Due to the possible implications on the community, referrals were sent to Cowichan Valley School District 79, the North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP and the Chemainus Residents Association. Five neighbouring First Nations were also notified and invited to provide comment on the proposal.

A virtual public hearing will be held on the application at a later date.

In a related development, the Agricultural Land Commission clarified that under new legislation on May 8, 2019, all forms of cannabis production in the Agricultural Land Reserve are considered farm use. This includes cannabis grown inside buildings with concrete and other non soil-based floors.

Previously, in July 2018, legislation limited cannabis production to outdoor field or soil-based growing. The change in regulation puts the responsibility on local governments to decide if, or how, to regulate cannabis production in the ALR within their communities.

After some discussion, council directed staff to draft zoning regulations to limit cannabis production to soil-based production only, as per the ALR use regulation. But council also directed staff to draft a policy for site-specific exceptions for non soil-based cannabis production in the ALR on a case-by-case basis.

Council gave first, second and third reading to the Fees and Charges Amendment Bylaw, and subsequently adopted it.

The bylaw sets the application fee for development variance permits at $250. Changing the Fees and Charges Bylaw was proposed at council’s June 3 meeting in response to the COVID-19 crisis. The new cost will remain in effect for eligible applicants as long as the provincial state of emergency is active.

The Provincial Government recently invited the Municipality to participate in the Clean BC Better Homes Rebate Program.

“The main goal of which is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the residential housing sector,” explained North Cowichan Mayor Al Siebring. “This program focuses on replacing fossil fuel heating systems with high-efficiency air-source heat pumps. The program offers provincially funded rebates for homeowners to improve their home’s energy efficiency. Although the rebates are available to all homeowners in B.C., the provincial government is encouraging municipalities to provide additional top-up incentives to increase uptake in their jurisdiction.”

As a result, council directed staff to enroll North Cowichan in the program and to allocate up to $30,000 from the Climate Action Reserve Fund. North Cowichan’s retrofit incentive program will run on a first-come-first-served basis until the allocated funds are exhausted.

A presentation was also received on the Climate Action and Energy Plan Update Project from Sustainability Solutions Group’s consultant who is leading the update of the CAEP. The purpose of the update is to modernize emissions reduction targets and modelling to achieve an 80 per cent reduction in GHGs by 2050.

Meanwhile, at a Committee of the Whole meeting June 9, council was presented with some options for moving forward with the 2021 budget.

In light of COVID-19, council favoured a Recovery Budget option, including a focus on the following: developing projects, and finding resources to work on, improving natural assets and green infrastructure and achieving climate-related mitigation, adaptation resiliency goals; providing both short and long-term employment opportunities for those sectors of society that have been particularly impacted by the pandemic shutdown to support the local Cowichan economy; and, being “agile” in anticipation of a possible second wave of infection and economic shutdown, and recognizing the uncertainty of the immediate future.

Council directed staff to proceed with a Recovery Budget in preparing the 2020-2025 Financial Plan.

The next regular council meeting takes place electronically on Wednesday, July 15 at 1:30 pm.