5815 replies to this topic

[Mike K.]

Where exactly is the FN location planned?

Speaking of smokable product, the Modeste Smoke Shop on Admirals has a boarded up entrance and it has been that way for weeks. What’s going on?

[laconic]

The shop has been closed for many months. If I recall correctly, early in the new year.

[Mike K.]

Interesting. Do we know why it closed?

[jasmineshinga]

Vandals smashed up the front door and glass some time ago. https://www.vicnews....breaking-glass/

 

They operated a trailer on site for a while, mostly cigs and fireworks. That closed, possibly due to the number of fires being caused by fireworks in the neighbourhood. Now it's just a dead zone.

[TwilightZoneVictoria]

Making the video unavailable for that meeting doesn't meet the standard of transparency.

 

It appears as though the details of the council meeting from November 5th have been removed from the City website so I can only relate what I was told which may or may not be 100% accurate.

 

The Mayor voted against the application on the 5th of November. Only Geoff and Jeremy supported it. The rationale was that there was a FN owned pot shop that was also in the approval process and council applied their new equity lens which essentially allows them to make any decision they want. The Bay GM complained about the decision, but more importantly the Province reminded Ms. Helps about the irony of her constantly having her hand out whilst voting to block a store that generates income for the Province. Now the Mayor wants to revisit the decision.

 

If the City decides to make the video of the November 5th meeting available again at least the public discussion can be viewed to confirm or invalidate this.

[spanky123]

Where exactly is the FN location planned?

Speaking of smokable product, the Modeste Smoke Shop on Admirals has a boarded up entrance and it has been that way for weeks. What’s going on?

 

The Songhees FN has a 33% ownership of a new planned shop at 901 Gordon St which is a block from the Bay Centre. Staff and the DRA both recommended declining the application in October. Nevertheless, the Mayor and council decided to approve this application and deny the BC Government one at their October 22nd COTW meeting.

[Nparker]

Reconciliation through quotas.

[Mike K.]

Crazy.

There was so much riding on that BC Cannabis location for the mall. 901 Gordon is within that Broughton/Courtney parkade structure, in case anyone is wondering.

[spanky123]

Crazy.

There was so much riding on that BC Cannabis location for the mall. 901 Gordon is within that Broughton/Courtney parkade structure, in case anyone is wondering.

 

At the October 22nd meeting, the fact that the Cannabis shop on Gordon St has FN ownership was stated as a deciding factor in approving the application even though staff and the DRA opposed it. Wise decision by the owners of the other 66% to include FN. It appears as though the application would have been declined otherwise.

 

Looks very much like the City's support of social injustice extends well beyond just giving sub $25K contracts to their friends. I am assuming it is going to start impacting every decision that council and staff make and is an excellent excuse for bypassing whatever competitive process or regulation is in place.

[spanky123]

So the Cannabis store at 1150 Douglas St has been approved after the Mayor brought back the application for reconsideration. The deciding factor apparently is that the store will now be privately owned instead of a BC Gov't store and the Songhees FN will have a small stake it in (like the store on Gordon St).

 

So when the BC Gov't applied for a store at that location in October it was turned down because it was too close to a proposed location on Gordon St and too close to a school both in contravention to CoV bylaws. With FN involvement and a private operator now neither of those seems to matter.

 

So is that the message with CoV? If you can't get a project through council then you need to sell (give?) a portion of your business to a local FN group and then bingo you are golden?

[Mike K.]

In terms of this application, it looks that way. Council initially had rejected the Government Street application (1150 Douglas) but the Gordon Street application was too close.

I’m not familiar with what school would be too close, though.

[Victoria Watcher]

there is a school of innovation at nootka court.

 

i'm not sure what a school being nearby has anything to do with anything though.  but that's politics for you.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 18 January 2021 - 08:22 AM.

[Mike K.]

Wouldn’t the Gordon Street dispensary be even closer to that school than the Government Street location?

[spanky123]

In terms of this application, it looks that way. Council initially had rejected the Government Street application (1150 Douglas) but the Gordon Street application was too close.

I’m not familiar with what school would be too close, though.

 

I am sure that the BC Government is not going to complain but if this had been a private operator who made the initial application, done the market research, submitted a potential design and then denied the application, I would be really upset that the next guy that comes along gets the benefit of my work and approved when I was turned down.

[Mike K.]

Sorry, to clarify, the Bc Gov application had been rejected by being too close to the First Nations application on Gordon Street.

And let’s consider Isitt’s Red Cedar cafes operating out of Paul’s and the Comfort Inn. Both occupied former private restaurant spaces that had to close, and the Paul’s space had just recently undergone $150,000 in private improvements before the complex was sold. Only $85k was recovered by the investor.

[spanky123]

Sorry, to clarify, the Bc Gov application had been rejected by being too close to the First Nations application on Gordon Street.

And let’s consider Isitt’s Red Cedar cafes operating out of Paul’s and the Comfort Inn. Both occupied former private restaurant spaces that had to close, and the Paul’s space had just recently undergone $150,000 in private improvements before the complex was sold. Only $85k was recovered by the investor.

 

The rejection was due to be too close to another store and too close to a school. The Gordon street location was underway but not approved at the time. 

 

From what I know, the Songhees own 30% of each location. Seed and Stone is based out of Chilliwack and has a location there. They will own both locations in Victoria

 

Next logical step is to reject a liquor license for a new bar or restaurant unless it has owners favorable to council?

Edited by spanky123, 18 January 2021 - 10:58 AM.

[Barrrister]

Next logical step is to totally get rid of this council and make a real commitment to helping to get out the vote against this destructive process. 

[todd]

All the pot shops are piling up in the downtown core? Lots of business on Oak Bay Ave? (Victoria side).


https://youtu.be/FDOoSOjMG0U

Edited by todd, 18 January 2021 - 11:38 AM.

[todd]

https://justice.gov....islicensing/map

[todd]

Canopy Growth Corp stock is back up.