IN THE NEWS

Element GP Inc Cannabis Production Facility 
 Clearwater County Council has taken the first step to allow Element GP Inc., out of Calgary, to establish a major cannabis production facility approximately ½ mile north of the junction of SH 587 (the Bowden Road) and Hwy. 22. On July 24, council passed a motion to allow approximately 40 acres to be re-designated from Agriculture to Light Industrial.
On August 17th Element submitted a development permit application for their proposed 58,600 SQ. FT cannabis cultivation and extraction facility to be erected on this re-designated land. That application will now be assessed/evaluated by the Municipal Planning Commission (MPC) at a meeting that must be held within 40 days of the application submission.
Interestingly, this development does not comply with the Land Use Bylaw passed by this council in March. The stumbling block is the 300m. setback restriction from a “property boundary” that has a residence and/or other noted facilities. To counter that, Council passed first reading, on August 28th, to revise the original LUB and remove the words “property boundary” so the setback would merely state “300m. from a residence”, etc..
A public hearing on this matter will be held on October 9, to be followed potentially by second and third reading. The questions remain for MPC, “Will/Can they allow the development permit in spite of the current LUB? Will they turn it down, as they should, given the current restrictions?? Or Will they postpone a decision until after the October 9th public hearing??
Approximately 50 people attended the public hearing in July to voice their unanimous opposition to the building of this facility.


Leslieville/Condor Fire Halls
 At their regular council meeting on August 28th, Council accepted information and directed administration to proceed with gathering more figures and specific information on the development of these two facilities. Current plans propose a new Public Services Building for Condor and a re-purposed Public Works building for an enlarged/improved facility in Leslieville. The total cost of the two facilities is approximately $6,000,000. Discussion took place on how costs might be trimmed, with administration to come back with answers to that. The Condor project is slated to commence in 2019 and the Leslieville one in 2020.


Broadband Improvements
 Council is proposing to submit a resolution to the fall convention of the Rural Municipalities Association requesting that organization urge the provincial and federal governments to support and fund improved internet service to rural areas. Council will be seeking support for their resolution from other rural municipalities.


ROSES
 Special bouquets of roses goes out to members of our Clearwater Regional Fire Rescue Services who have gone to help fight fires in B.C.. Not only do we appreciate all their efforts and dedicated service here but we applaud their willingness to share their energies with our neighbors in their significant struggles.


Coming Events
September 13, 2018, 7:30PM, Arbutus Community Hall, Regular monthly meeting 

October 9, 2018, Clearwater Council Chambers, Public Hearing re Land Use Bylaw on Cannabis 
Production AND Retail Facilities. (TIME TO BE ANNOUNCED)

October 11, 2019, 7:30 PM, Arbutus Community Hall, Regular monthly meeting