By Sheldon Spackman

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Mar 22, 2019 | 3:00 PM

Council for the Town of Drayton Valley has given the green light for establishment of a cannabis production and distribution facility in the community’s northwest.

Council gave second and third readings to a Land Use Bylaw amendment on Wednesday that rezoned the proposed property from commercial to industrial.

Mayor Michael Doerksen says part of the Town’s larger Cannabis Distribution and Production Bylaw means anything zoned Industrial no longer has to come before council.

“Now that that is done, they have the ability to move forward with their plans of a cannabis cultivation and distribution facility,” he explains. “This facility could very well employ more than 50 people once they get up and going. I don’t know what the timeline is to retrofit the building but we’re just finding ways to improve things on our own if our provincial and federal government doesn’t want to help us out, because we are that resilient community.”

Doerksen says next steps include the applicant obtaining licensing to open its doors.

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“All the licensing for the most part comes from the federal government,” says Doerksen. “Doing the retrofits for the building and making sure it’s all up to code, a lot of that is federally mandated. But just like any other business in our community, it will be up to them to make sure that they have the permits in place.”

According to Town officials, the business applicant is planning to convert the current vacant shop and office building on 56 Street to a cannabis production and distribution facility.

It’s anticipated the facility would generate 10-15 trucks per week, one to two of which would be large semi-type trucks expected for delivery of materials such as soil to support the plants and pick up of product.

In terms of environmental matters, Town officials say Health Canada requires the proposed facility to meet the same standards as a pharmaceutical manufacturing facility.

These Health Canada requirements would ensure any contamination leftover from the property’s previous oilfield equipment services business, be minimized as much as possible.

In addition, an air filtration system will also be required to ensure any cannabis odours don’t negatively impact adjacent property owners.