PENINSULA Spotlight on Family Day
Panthers battle for second
Find out what’s up in Sidney in our pullout section. Also, enter to win a getaway, page 15 Black Press C O M M U N I T Y
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NEWS REVIEW
Peninsula has a crucial hockey game Friday against the Campbell River Storm, page 11
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
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Grow op proposed Application comes as North Saanich council votes to allow medical marijuana Steven Heywood News staff
A grower of medical marijuana has given notice to the District of North Saanich that it wants to set up a grow operation on McTavish Road and a recent council vote would allow it. Those plans added a twist to council’s recent debate over whether to allow medical marijuana production sites in their community. Cannan Growers Inc. wrote on Jan. 16 to the District, fire department and local RCMP indicating their intent to seek a licence to produce medical marijuana. In the letter, Cannan spokesperson Roberto Bresciani stated they intend to make formal application to Health Canada “on or around Feb. 7.” Mayor Alice Finall asked during the Jan. 27 “I think it’s a committee of the whole knee-jerk reaction session if the application would put it outside of if we support this any prohibition on medimotion.” cal marijuana production in North Saanich. – Ted Daly Chief Administrative Officer Rob Buchan replied that a formal business licence application might have to come in for that to be the case. Director of Planning and Community Services Mark Brodrick added “the clock doesn’t start ticking until we have a full application.” Councillor Craig Mearns asked if the District can prohibit medical marijuana production within its borders. Buchan said the federal government has stated it will honour the wishes of local governments on this matter. The application arrived at municipal hall right before council’s scheduled debate over whether to prohibit such operations in the municipality. In December, council overturned their plan to implement a temporary prohibition. Please see: Legal farming won’t be opposed, page 2
Devon MacKenzie/News staff
Tsawout Band Councillor Allan Claxton and Director of Economic Development Vance Rosling look over one of the latest versions of the Jesken Town Centre plans. Rosling and Claxton expect ground to be broken on the project this summer.
Jesken Town Centre coming Twenty-year-old commercial development plan may soon be a reality Devon MacKenzie News staff
The Tsawout First Nation is getting closer to realizing a vision that began 20 years ago. “The Jesken Town Centre project is something that many people have been looking forward to for a long time,” said Tsawout band councillor Allan Claxton. Claxton, a former chief of the Tsawout First Nation, has been a main player in
the project since it started. The project, estimated at around $185 million and set to begin construction this summer, has been through three different developers and had never been successful until recently, when the band paired with Property Development Group (PDG) out of Vancouver. “The main issue over the years has been highway access,” said Claxton, adding that the newest plans have southbound access coming in with an over-
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pass (paid for by Tsawout and PDG) from the Pat Bay Highway at Jus Kun Road and northbound access at highway grade. Other ideas over the years, he said, have included accesses at Mt. Newton X Road and Island View Road, both which ultimately didn’t work for the area. Please see: Tsawout members get first dibs, page 3