A zoning bylaw amendment to allow cannabis retail stores and dispensaries as a permitted conditional use in Thompson’s commercial mixed use and commercial downtown 1 zones was approved by city council at their Nov. 16 meeting.
No one objected to the bylaw change at a public hearing prior to the council meeting or submitted written or verbal objections before the hearing, which enabled councillors to proceed with both second and third reading of the bylaw, which were both approved unanimously.
Prior to the change, cannabis stores and dispensaries fell under the more general retail definition, city manager Anthony McInnis said at the Oct. 19 council meeting when the bylaw passed first reading.
There are currently two cannabis stories in Thompson – Meta Cannabis Supply in the Mystery Lake Hotel and Delta 9 Cannabis in the City Centre Mall.
The owner of the Burntwood Hotel submitted a conditional use application in July to open a retail store in the commercial mixed use zone. The proposed location of the store is in the Selkirk Room at the hotel, which used to house Rucker’s and is currently used as a meeting room.
