Regina City Council approved a discretionary use application to allow the development of the Join Cannabis Shop in Regina’s Whitmore Park.

The approved application came after the shop received development and building permits and invested more than $250,000 into the new location. However, six months later, the permit was rescinded due to the existence of a Montessori school about 40 metres from the new shop, which opened after the application and permits were issued.

Bartosz Stras, vice-president and co-founder of The Joint Head Shop Inc., which operates The Joint Cannabis Shop on Victoria Avenue, said he has never been in a situation like this.

“In my 15 years of doing this, I have never been in a situation where after a development permit has been issued, and especially six months after, then to have a municipality come back and essentially tell us that is being pulled at this point because a mistake was made.”

Stras said that when they chose the site at 2104 Grant Rd., the Montessori school nearby was shut down due to COVID-19. That met all zoning requirements to make it a permitted use, a development that does not need council approval.

Six months later, unknown to Stras and the city until six months later, a new owner moved into the strip mall and reopened the school six months later.

During Wednesday’s city council meeting, council voted to approve the discretionary use application to allow the development to move forward, with the city administration admitting it erred and aims to prevent such mistakes in the future.

Councillor Lori Bresciani had strong words for the administration.

“This was not their fault; this was ours. I think it’s very important that we take a look before we do this because this is quite embarrassing for our city.”