DOWNTOWN INCENTIVES District invites development
DISTRACTED DRIVING
Enforcement ramped up
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2012
CCNA
CULTURE DAYS Local events planned
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Thursday, September 26, 2013
SERVING MISSION SINCE 1908
Corralling medical pot grows Carol Aun MISSION RECORD
Commercial marijuana producers will only be able to legally set up an operation on industrial or Agricultural Land Reserve areas in Mission next spring. And even if the right location is identified, the applicant will have to apply for a comprehensive development zoning to allow such a use, which would trigger a public process, and leave the decision in the hands of council. Applicants would also be asked to prove the operation would be a benefit to the community. District staff identified a few dozen locations that meet the minimal parcel size (9.8 acres for industrial lands and 19 acres for ALR) and minimal setbacks (23 feet for industrial and 98.5 feet for ALR), but at Monday night’s council meeting, Coun. Dave Hensman said he wanted to see the industrial lot size increased as there is a property downtown that would suit such an operation. Mission is preparing the policy in anticipation of the changes Ottawa is making to its medical marijuana grow licences, which are scheduled to come into effect
Winning wolfhound
April 2014. The federal government is cancelling home-based growing licences in favour of commercial producers. Coun. Nelson Tilbury said he isn’t in favour of prohibition and believes making it more difficult will only increase the price of the product. “We’re saying we don’t want it anywhere in our community, but we’ll allow it in certain areas,” said Mayor Ted Adlem. “We’ll listen to you. I don’t know if the District of Mission should even considering housing something like this. We’re not talking about small stuff.” If the feds give out 100 licences and Mission doesn’t get one, Adlem says he won’t be sorry. Adlem, along with Hensman, predicts there will be hundreds of illegal marijuana grow operations in April when the new rules come into effect. There are more than 700 licences to grow in Mission, according to the district, which received the figures after submitting a freedom of information request earlier this year. Health Canada representative Todd Cain told civic politicians at last week’s Union of B.C. Munici-
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Emma Ross of Mission kisses her nine-year-old dog Neenagh after placing first in the veteran female class of the Irish Wolfhound Club of Canada’s specialty dog show at Chilliwack Heritage Park on Saturday. Irish wolfhounds are known as ‘gentle giants’. The large dogs grow to about 32 inches tall at the shoulder, and weigh 150 to 180 pounds. Irish wolfhounds have a short life span and only live to be about 10 years old. JENNA HAUCK / BLACK PRESS