Applicant hopes to expand Abbotsford’s pot-shop limit

The City of Abbotsford has received a rezoning application for a cannabis retail store in the Meadow Fair mall at the corner of Clearbrook Road and South Fraser Way.

Google Street View

The city has received a rezoning application for an additional non-medical cannabis store in Abbotsford.

The application from the numbered company 1181168 B.C. Ltd. was received July 24 for a building in the Meadow Fair shopping complex at the corner of South Fraser Way and Clearbrook Road.

The applicant is seeking a change to the city’s cannabis retail store policy, which city council adopted in May 2019 and which limits the number of cannabis stores in Abbotsford to four.

The city’s zoning bylaw identifies 10 lots on which a cannabis store is a permitted use.

When the city first began accepting applications in spring 2020, eight proponents came forward.

Seven made it to the public hearing stage. City staff later recommended that four of those applications be approved.

At the time, council alluded to an increase in the number of stores in the future.

“This is a first phase,” then-councillor Sandy Blue said. “We really want to take a look at what’s happening and re-evaluate later.”

The four stores that are currently operating in Abbotsford are: This is Cannabis at Abbotsford Village Shopping Centre on Sumas Way, Inspired Cannabis in Clearbrook Town Square (by FreshCo), BC Cannabis store (government-run) at Highstreet Shopping Centre and Hive Cannabis Dispensary at Parallel Marketplace on North Parallel Road.

A date for the rezoning application to come before council has not yet been set.

To get the week’s latest must-read stories from the cannabis world direct to your inbox, sign up for our weekly newsletter at canadianevergreen.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.