A spokesperson from Canna Cabana says they are disappointed that they bid to open a retail cannabis store in Niverville was denied by town council.

In the town of Niverville, any cannabis retailer looking to set up shop must get a conditional use permit. Council denied Canna Cabana’s conditional use request by a vote of 3 to 2.

Nick Kuzyk is the Chief Strategy Officer of Canna Cabana’s Calgary based parent company High Tide Inc. He says they believed they were making headway in Niverville.

"We were optimistic that Niverville would be our first home in Manitoba especially with the way that we were welcomed into the community and the location was quickly agreed to for us but we will have to figure things out with the province and potentially revisit this with Niverville or do our best to work with the province to find another location."

Kuzyk says they understand that not every community deems retail cannabis to be a fit, but they find that in the communities they have established themselves in they have gotten very positive feedback. He notes they will now have to shift their focus to a new plan.

"We appreciated the opportunity to communicate our style and our culture and our ambitions and the community equally expressed its views on the topic. I think a lot of the comments would be better suited for Health Canada and not for a retailer who is just trying to do what is legal in Canada."

Kuzyk says they aren’t closing the door on the possibility of opening up a cannabis store in Niverville, but it will take two willing parties to make it happen. He notes they will now go to the province and pursue alternative opportunities to set up their first cannabis store in Manitoba, whether or not it will be in Niverville. He adds there is no definitive next step.

Read more: Cannabis Store Denied Conditional Use In Niverville