Update:
Wednesday, March 6 is the last day to file an objection with the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario on the proposed Sudbury retail cannabis store application.
Anton Lucic applied for a retail license for High Life at 1299 Marcus Drive in the east end of the city. The space was previously a Town Shoes store located across the street from Silver City Cinemas.
As the public consultation process for the Marcus Drive location comes to a close, another northern lottery winner begins the eligibility phase of the AGCO review process.
A Calgary-based cannabis company, High Tide Inc., says it is assisting two Ontario licence lottery winners with opening and running their new cannabis businesses.
Nick Kuzyk is the chief strategy officer and senior vice president of Capital Markets at High Tide.
He confirmed with CTV News that the company will be working in a consultative capacity with a lottery winner from the north region who will be opening their store in Sudbury.
This means that of the two retail licences allotted by the government in northern Ontario, both will be located in the City of Greater Sudbury.
The location of this second store is still yet to be determined.
High Tide will also be assisting a new store opening in Hamilton.
CTV Northern Ontario will follow the story and provide updates as they become available.
Original:
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, that has been assigned to oversee the rollout of the province’s retail cannabis, has released some of the proposed locations for the first batch of stores that have submitted applications for licences.
Out of more than 8,500 Expression of Interest applications, only 25 initial retail licences are being granted by the government, with just two located in northern Ontario.
Now, the AGCO has released the locations for the first 14 proposals.
Sudbury is the first location in northern Ontario to see a retail store proposal.
Anton Lucic was selected in the pot shop lottery that was held back in January and has now submitted an application to open a store called Highlife at 1299 Marcus Drive in Greater Sudbury.
It is located in a plaza across from Silver City Cinemas, in a space formerly occupied by Town Shoes.
Residents within the municipality have 15 days to submit concerns and objections about the proposed location through the AGCO website.
Public input will be accepted on this particular application until March 6th.
Retail stores granted licences are expected to be open by April 1 or will face stiff fines.
Each applicant was required to submit a $50,000 Standby Letter of Credit with the license application that will be drawn upon to pay fines if store opening is delayed.
No word yet on Northern Ontario's second licence application.
Saturninus Partners won the chance to apply through the AGCO licence lottery.
CTV News Northern Ontario will follow the story and provide new details as they emerge.
