A move to get licensed cannabis retail in Steinbach has gone up in smoke. “They don’t like it, they don’t want it in their city,” said Jesse Lavoie, president and CEO of TobaGrown, a licensed cannabis producer. “That’s what we’re up against.” Lavoie told CTV News he wants TobaGrown to expand into southeastern Manitoba. But Steinbach hasn’t allowed licensed retail in their city since it was legalized federally in 2018. “Eight years later, we have all of this data on legalization,” Lavoie said. “Legal cannabis stores, what’s it done to our GDP, the 100,000-plus jobs it’s created.” Lavoie’s team felt it was time to bring the issue to a vote. Over the course of 90 days this summer, they gathered 4,014 signatures. It was enough to trigger a vote this fall. Or so they thought. When it came time for official review by the City of Steinbach however, more than 3,000 of those signatures were rejected and the plebiscite was tossed. “When we’re asking people to put their full address, your unit number, your street number, your postal code, that freaked people out,” Lavoie said. “People didn’t want to do that.” Lavoie blames the city administration and the Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Authority of Manitoba for what he calls outdated legislation. He believes a full name and postal code should have been sufficient if people were scared to share their street address. “We’re not demanding Steinbach open stores next week, we are demanding that people get the right to vote,” Lavoie said. In a statement, the LGCA says they do not receive or approve applications for plebiscites under the act, saying it’s the CAO of a municipality that determines the sufficiency of the petition. The act outlines what needs to be recorded on the petition, such as residential addresses, and empowers a municipality to determine if the information is sufficient. “We appreciate the feedback from the citizen group that invoked these sections of Act to petition for plebiscites in Steinbach and Winkler,” a spokesperson for the organization said in an emailed statement. “We will be considering this feedback, including how the information is collected, moving forward as we work to ensure that legislation meets the needs of municipalities and Manitobans.” Steinbach Mayor Earl Funk said he is not opposed to the idea of a plebiscite. Funk said this fell on Lavoie’s team not complying with the exact LGCA guidelines set for obtaining this type of plebiscite. “The Control Act has criteria that they have to meet, and I guess many of these signatures didn’t meet the criteria,” Funk said on Wednesday. Even if it didn’t work out this time, some people CTV News spoke with wish the issue would go to a vote. “Regardless of whether or not I personally want the stores open, being given the right to vote on your own opinion is important,” said Steinbach resident Grayson Kroeker. “Privacy is a priority for most people, and I think it’s a dangerous path for the city to take by shutting down those signatures,” Brittany Frederick said. Lavoie said his team is considering legal avenues at this time and plan for a similar plebiscite ahead of their next opportunity, the 2030 municipal election.
