Hemp store denied marijuana application
Terrace business Deviant Fibres’ application to sell recreational marijuana out of their hemp store has been denied by Terrace city council.
Owner Inder Dhillon has been working on processing his application since last October and received approval from the province for his location at 4435 Lakelse Avenue. However, the city can stop an application in its tracks if staff feel the store is not a good fit for the community.
Comic Encounters, the comic book store next to Deviant Fibres, gathered 100 signatures in a petition in protest of a cannabis store opening there. There were also several written responses and statements received from neighbouring property owners, residents and tenants voicing their opposition.
READ MORE: Four marijuana stores looking at Terrace
Concerns surrounding having a marijuana store next door to Comic Encounters would open up the possibility of younger customers accidentally walking into Deviant Fibres because of the building’s shared vestibule. Having the Ksan Society damp shelter across the street was also discussed.
Dhillon did present a floorplan that includes a separate vestibule to mitigate those concerns. The store is also required to cover all windows and doors with a non-transparent film to ensure any cannabis products are not visible from the outside to abide by provincial regulations. However, the number of negative responses resulted in council denying the store’s application. Coun. Jessica McCallum Miller was recorded as opposed to denying the application.
So far, council has approved three other cannabis store applications in other areas of the city.
READ MORE: Terrace’s first licensed marijuana store opens
Tree stump carving
The maple tree stump planted by the city’s founder George Little at the corner of Lakelse and Emerson could see a new life after its canopy was cut down because of safety concerns.
City council authorized the Terrace & District Improvement Area to hire a carver to turn the tree stump into a sculpture. While an official design has yet to be announced, there have been talks of turning the stump into a sculpture of a logger.
There’s still some work to be done to see how viable the remaining wood from the century-year-old tree is to carve.
READ MORE: Century-old tree planted by Terrace founder cut down due to safety concerns
Tax exemptions
City council approved permissive tax exemptions for businesses for 2020-2023, adding the Terrace Legion Branch 13 to their list of applicable businesses.
Up until now, the Legion was recognized through BC Assessment as a business without acknowledging the revenue and work the organization does in the community, including the Riverboat Days parade and several other events.
Council revised this to allow the Legion to write off 50 per cent of their taxes. Other Royal Canadian Legions in neighbouring communities including Prince Rupert and Kitimat have been partially exempt from city taxes for years.
brittany@terracestandard.com
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