Kelowna’s 15 pot finalists

Wayne Moore - Feb 09, 2019 - Biz Releases

The wait is over for 15 prospective recreational cannabis retailers in Kelowna.

Now, the heavy work begins.

The 15 applications accepted by the city will now move forward through the standard rezoning process. That will include getting final approval from city council.

After an initial two month review, 10 retailers were informed they scored the highest of the 36 applications and would move to the rezoning phase.

Five others were decided through a lottery overseen by Grant Thornton LLP Friday afternoon.

The lottery was for applicants who scored within five per cent and were located within 500 metres of each other.

Applications moving forward encompass all corners of the city from the Mission out to Airport Way. They include:

1675-1677 Commerce Avenue

547-559 Bernard Avenue

401 Glenmore Road

2090 Harvey Avenue

1455-1475 Harvey Avenue

3818 Gordon Drive

2339-2397 Hwy 97 North

1977 Kirschner Road

1310 St. Paul Street

889 Vaughan Avenue

140-160 Rutland Rd S

175 Old Vernon Road, 2053, 2065 &2115 Rutland Court

2121 Springfield Road

1100 Lawrence Avenue

5505-5507 Airport Way

“The timing for when cannabis retail stores are up and running will vary depending on the application,” said planner Ryan Smith, who spearheaded the process.

“In addition to requiring a site-specific rezoning, applicants have to go through several licensing steps with both the city and the provincial government before they can open a store.”

Smith says the city has forwarded the information of the 15 prospective retailers to the province in order to begin their licensing process.

He expects the application will come before council sometime in early March.

The first retail outlet could be up and running by late spring.

There are currently no legal recreational cannabis stores operating in the Okanagan.