BC Cannabis coming to Oliver
Colin Dacre - Jun 11, 2019 - Biz Releases

Photo: Contributed

A location has been secured for a B.C. Cannabis Store in Oliver, although the provincial isn’t ready to share exactly where just yet.

Kevin Satterfield, director of retail cannabis operations with the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch was before Oliver council Monday to give local politicians a crash course on retail cannabis.

He said they have a 2,200-square-foot store that will require 14-17 staff planned for the town. The commercial lease for the location is still being finalized, but the LCRB applied for a local business licence for the shop Monday.

Satterfield said it will take them about six months to open the store once the lease is signed, so an Oliver opening won’t be happening until 2020 with several other shops ahead in the queue.

Right now, Kamloops is home to the province’s lone B.C. Cannabis Store. A second will open in that city on July 10.

“We have approximately 20 stores slated to open before the end of the calendar year,” Satterfield said.

He said the employees of the store will be mostly unionized and start at $21 per hour. The store will have to comply with all the Town of Oliver’s local bylaws and zoning, just like a private store.

The City of Penticton will also be getting a B.C. Cannabis Store, although it’s not known when exactly that will open. Looking south, Osoyoos has banned provincial stores in favour of giving exclusive rights to private operators.

The LCRB has so far approved 29 private cannabis stores across B.C., with the closest to the Okanagan being a pair of shops in Salmon Arm.


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