The applicants of a proposed cannabis shop at the Crown Isle shopping centre were the only participants at a virtual public hearing, hosted Monday (Feb. 8) by the City of Courtenay.
Comox residents Sheila and Chris Rivers hope to open their second non-medical retail cannabis store in the Comox Valley. Their first store — Coast Range Cannabis — opened on Church Street in Comox in October 2019.
Since that time, the couple has managed to retain the same staff members, which Sheila said is her “greatest point of pride.”
By opening a second store in Courtenay, they hope to create employment for locals, and maintain an area where people can access legal cannabis.
If council approves the application, the store would be the seventh retail cannabis establishment in Courtenay, but only the second store east of the Courtenay River.
The city has received 27 written comments about the proposal.
READ: Cannabis retail proposal draws mixed reviews from Courtenay residents