Niverville residents have voted yes to retail cannabis in a highly contested plebiscite held on Tuesday, November 26.

Voter turnout came in at 49 percent, which is only slightly lower than the 52 percent turnout in Niverville during the recent provincial election held in September.

Out of a total of 1,582 votes, 863 voted in favor. The other 719 voted against.

Hours before the final count was tallied, Mayor Myron Dyck indicated that, regardless of the plebiscite results, the public vote resulted in a number of positive outcomes. Firstly, he says, it gave residents a chance to educate themselves on cannabis use.

“It’s important for all Canadians to understand and educate themselves on what they put into their bodies,” Dyck says. “Whether natural products or not, there can be side effects and it behooves us all to know what we put into our bodies and if it’s good for us.”

He added that the plebiscite tested the community—and residents responded, for the most part, with respectful dialogue on either side of the debate.

“As a society, being that we are all equal and where there are topics or issues we disagree on, it is never okay to slander or bully someone because of their belief,” says Dyck.

Derek Loepp, a proponent and key campaigner for allowing retail cannabis, says he wasn’t so much surprised by the outcome as he was pleased that his community made the right choice.

“I am proud of our community [for taking] action on such an important issue,” Loepp says. “Niverville got it right.”

He sees the almost 10 percent margin between the yes and no side as decisive, sending a clear message that Niverville is a progressive and forward-thinking community and a great place for any business to put down roots.

He’s glad that the majority of voters recognize that prohibition doesn’t work.

“Regardless of which side of this issue you are on, I would like to suggest everyone continue to educate themselves about cannabis and cannabis use so that we are able to have thoughtful conversations about it with our family and friends,” Loepp says. “Education is the key to overcoming our fears.”

Another community member, Roger Armbruster, voted no. He says he was confident the vote would be a close one and is thankful to town council for giving residents an opportunity to speak to the matter.

“My feelings are that both church attenders and non-attenders voted on both sides of this issue, so I do not want to see any division or polarization along those lines,” Armbruster says.

Going forward, he adds, it’s important that the community build bridges rather than drift apart because of an us vs. them mentality.

“Niverville is a place where we all belong, regardless of differing perspectives,” says Armbruster. “Let’s make staying connected as a vibrant community with strong families our most important vote!” 

The Future of a Store 

Where does the community go from here? Based on council’s commitment to respect the public vote, council will be required to entertain conditional use applications from cannabis retailers down the road. If they turn down an application in the future, their grounds will need to be based on the applicant’s inability to meet zoning requirements as laid out in Niverville’s zoning bylaws.

As for possible locations for a cannabis retail store, few options are available based on council’s zoning bylaw, which currently states that a retail store needs to be at least 1,000 feet from any school, park, or public facility.

The previous location at 249 Bronstone Drive, which Canna Cabana was seeking a conditional use hearing for in July of this year, has since been leased to the owners of Niverville Check Engine.

In addition to Canna Cabana, the province also selected a second company which has shown an interest in setting up show in Niverville—Red River Co-op. Should either of these prospective cannabis retailers show an interest in the community again, Mayor Dyck says council will deal with them just as they would any other business.

“When we have inquiries from businesses… coming to our town and wanting to know what we have available, we do have a list [that we provide]… of landowners or landlords and.. then they can go and do their due diligence,” Dyck says. “Or we might send them to the Chamber [of Commerce for assistance].”

Nick Kuzyk of Canna Cabana says his company is ready to apply for another conditional use permit for a retail store in Niverville.

“We appreciate now knowing that a majority of Niverville’s representative citizens will be welcoming to Canna Cabana,” says Kuzyk.

In the meantime, local cannabis production, too, is very much a possibility for Niverville’s business park.