It’s now a matter of when, not if, cannabis shops will start popping up in West Kelowna.
This week, city council adopted zoning bylaw amendments for five non-medical retail cannabis shops.
The proposed locations, as per city hall’s agenda, are Main Street, Hoskins Road, Byland Road and two on Industrial Road.
The city said it will now send recommendations to the BC Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch in support of the five locations.
However, between getting provincial support plus business licensing and building permits from the city, it’s projected that the cannabis shops likely won’t be open until October.
WATCH BELOW (Aired July 3, 2019): Industry experts: Education on cannabis edibles needed
West Kelowna hires new chief administrative officer
In related news, the city also announced a new chief administrative officer, Paul Gipps.
Prior to working for West Kelowna, Gipps was the CAO of the Fraser Valley Regional District. His first day on the job was July 8.
“Council and I are very pleased to have found someone with Paul’s depth of local government experience,” said mayor Gord Milsom.
“He brings a proven track record as a solution-oriented, customer service-focused leader with an excellent reputation for forming and maintaining solid partnerships with other governments and stakeholders.”
The city says Gipps has a public sector management diploma from the University of Victoria, and has served as either CAO or deputy CAO in Terrace, Houston, Gibsons and Mission.
West Kelowna to soon introduce Stage 2 water restrictions
The city also announced that its reservoir storage is lower than normal, courtesy of lower-than-normal precipitation levels in March and May.
As a result, the city said Stage 2 sprinkling regulations will be put in place in the coming days to ensure water levels do not drop significantly.
Currently, the city is at Stage 1, which allows even-numbered addresses to water on even calendar days, and odd-numbered addresses on odd calendar days.
Going to Stage 2 means even-numbered addresses will only be allowed to water on Saturdays and Tuesdays, with odd-numbered addresses only allowed to water on Sundays and Wednesdays.
Stage 3 sprinkling regulations limit watering to one day a week for all and prohibits water use like washing vehicles, driveways, eaves etc. Stage 4 prohibits any outdoor watering.
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