Red Deer council rejects cannabis store 170 metres from St. Joseph High School
The proposed retail site met the city's required 150-metre separation from schools, but councillors cited youth safety concerns in the 5-4 vote against it.
Red Deer city council narrowly voted down second and third readings of a proposed cannabis retail store at 2120-90 Thornburn Avenue, defeating the application 5-4. Mayor Cindy Jefferies and councillors Tristin Brisbois, Jaelene Tweedle and Dianne Wyntjes voted in favour, while councillors Kraymer Barnstable, Adam Goodwin, Cassandra Curtis, Bruce Buruma and Chad Krahn opposed it.
The site, located across the street from St. Joseph High School in the Timberlands North area, would have been about 170 metres from the school, beyond the city's required 150-metre separation distance. Chris Andrew, board chair of Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools, and school principal Gary Gylander both urged council to reject the application, warning that the location's visibility and proximity to businesses frequented by students could increase youth exposure to cannabis. Gylander noted roughly 150 students at the school are old enough to legally purchase cannabis and raised concerns about potential distribution to younger students.
Property owner Ryan Sawatzky, who owns the site and two other Timberlands commercial properties, argued the application should have been approved since it met all zoning and distance requirements and would have filled a vacant retail space. Jason Volk, CEO of Lux Leaf Cannabis, said strict AGLC inventory and reporting controls apply to cannabis retailers and cited data showing a decline in cannabis use among 15-to-17-year-olds since legalization.
Councillor Adam Goodwin, drawing on his background in neuroscience, said he preferred to err on the side of caution given cannabis's effects on developing brains. Other councillors said they were torn between community safety concerns and the fact that the application technically met all regulatory requirements.
Compiled by the Alberta Daily Desk — an AI-written summary of reporting from the credited sources below, produced and reviewed under our editorial policy.