A Yellowknife city councillor says a business owner’s plan to produce cannabis in the territory should be applauded.
“We have a territory where we don’t produce a lot of things,” says Councillor Niels Konge. “Here’s somebody who wants to actually produce something that will be sold in the territory, that’s a rarity up here. This should be applauded.”
Konge was not the only councillor in support of the facility – councillors Shauna Morgan, Cynthia Mufandaedza and Steve Payne also voiced their support of the plans with no other members of council speaking against the development plan.
Jordan Harker, the person behind a push to build the facility, told council he would be employing 10 to 12 full time employees and 15 to 25 part-time.
The city received an application from Harker in February, to create a facility at 92 Falcon Road. The land is zoned business industrial, which allows for greenhouses, laboratories and research and development council documents state.
“The proposed development includes office space, research and development, production of goods, packaging, processing, and the growth of plants for harvesting.” Harker says research and development would be focused on ‘genetics and breeding’ but also edibles and oils.
The facility would be regulated by territorial and federal government, meaning the company would have to go to these two levels of governments before they can set up shop. Coun. Payne mentioned the hurdles NWT Brewing has had to go through at the territorial level, adding he hopes the process for the production facility is smooth.
Product grown at the facility will only be sold to the territorial government ‘for recreational and medical sale’ council documents state. Harker says there would be no sales from the location itself.
“Under federal regulations we are just a producer,” he says. “It’s a highly secured facility under Health Canada regulations, visitors are actually not wanted.”
Councillors voted unanimously Monday evening to approve cannabis production as a conditionally permitted use for the lot Harker is looking to buy.
