A4 Thursday, November 14, 2019
Nelson Star
www.nelsonstar.com
News
Railtown cannabis rezoning Peter de Groot inquest scheduled for May goes to public hearing SUBMITTED BY THE BC CORONERS SERVICE Special to the Nelson Star
BILL METCALFE Nelson Star
Nelson city council has started the process of rezoning a piece of Railtown land for indoor cannabis cultivation. The vacant property at 45 Government Road, which was once a fuel cardlock facility, was recently purchased by the Nelson Cannabis Collective, which applied to the city for the rezone. The proposed 1,810 square metre facility would, according to the proponents, provide up to 20 part-time and full-time jobs. The current zoning allows a variety
of commercial and industrial uses, but not cannabis cultivation. If the re-zoning eventually passes, it will allow cultivation on that site only, not on neighbouring sites. Council passed first and second reading last week. The matter will now go to a public hearing at which neighbours and other interested people may comment before council makes a final decision. Councillor Janice Morrison was concerned that it might use too much water, given Nelson’s precarious water supply. “This is a water and energy intensive
industry better suited to be outside the city where they could use other sources,” she said. “As we see development in Railtown and other places, water could become a concern and we pledged to come at these things with a climate change lens. We need to look at this in budget meetings and look at water metering.” Councillors Cal Renwick and Rik Logtenberg agreed. The city’s public works head, Colin Innes, told council that according to the proponent, the business would use an amount of water
equivalent to three households. “We were concerned about this [at first],” Innes said. “But it will be watering in pots, not water flowing through it. I would be prepared [to take them at their word], but we should monitor it.” Mayor John Dooley asked Innes what would happen if the facility exceeded its usage claim. Innes replied that a water meter could be applied to it and the excess charged for. Logtenberg conceded that if the business uses only three households worth of water, he didn’t think it is a problem.
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The collective is led by Mitchell Scott, one of the founders of Kootenay Mountain Culture magazine, and Phil Penfold, one of the principals at Retallack Lodge. The proposed business would host multiple cultivators and there would be no retail sales or consumption on site. At a public information session held by the cannabis collective on Sept. 18, one of their neighbours’ biggest concerns was smell, but the company states there will be no smell because of the facility’s advanced filtration technology and the fact that it is indoors. A date for the public hearing has not been set.
The BC Coroners Service has scheduled a public inquest into the death of Peter de Groot beginning on May, 19, 2020, at 9:30 a.m. at the Rossland Courthouse. The death of de Groot, 45, was reported to the BC Coroners Service on Oct. 13, 2014, following a police-involved incident at a cabin near Slocan. Under the Coroners Act, inquests are mandatory for any deaths that occur while a person was detained by or in the custody of a peace officer. Presiding coroner Chico Newell and a jury will hear evidence from witnesses under oath to determine the facts surrounding this death. The jury will have the opportunity to make recommendations aimed at preventing deaths under similar circumstances. A jury must not make any finding of legal responsibility or express any conclusion of law. An inquest is a formal process that allows for public presentation of evidence relating to a death. The jury will certify the identity of the
deceased and how, where, when and by what means death occurred. The BC Coroners Service looks to gather the facts surrounding why a death took place. It is not a fault-finding agency. It provides an independent service to the family, community, government agencies, and other organizations. De Groot was shot and killed by police at a cabin following a manhunt of several days. Police said that he fired at officers who came to his home and then fled. His family says it hopes the inquest answers several outstanding questions, including why police came to his home and why de Groot’s sister Danna was not allowed to help resolve the situation peacefully. The de Groot family is holding a civil suit against the RCMP in abeyance until the inquest ends.
Now that went well, didn’t it? We’ve moved offices. You made it a success. Our new School Board office is located at 811 Stanley Street, Nelson, in the Central School building. It was a big job, and we had a great team. Thanks! OPERATIONS STAFF
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