Cannabis producer eyes referendums for Manitoba’s Bible Belt

A cannabis producer and advocate wants to see retail sales bans in two Manitoba Bible Belt communities go up in smoke.

Jesse Lavoie of TobaGrown, which advocates for cannabis access and education in the province, wants Winkler and Steinbach to hold referendums on opening cannabis stores in next year’s municipal elections.

“People want to support local businesses,” Lavoie said. “People have to drive now to get it — what about if you don’t drive?

“In Winkler, it is 11 minutes from the city hall to the closest store in Morden, and it is a one-minute walk to the liquor store.”

Lavoie said Steinbach council recently rejected his request to order a referendum, while a similar vote in Winkler ended in a tie when one councillor was absent.

“We’ve asked the (Winkler) mayor and council to hold another vote when all the councillors are there,” he said.

Lavoie said if the cities continue to refuse holding votes on the matter, he will try to get enough signatures to force a vote, as mandated by the Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Control Act. Twenty per cent of eligible voters in each city would have to sign the petition to trigger a referendum. That works out to about 3,000 voters in Steinbach and about 2,000 in Winkler.

“If the community votes, and says no, we will be very good losers,” he said. “The people will have spoken.”

Stacie Rasmussen, who manages four Rural Buds cannabis outlets in southern Manitoba, said she’s not sure pushing for referendums is the best way of convincing people to change their opinions.

“I don’t like them bugging them,” Rasmussen said. “I know it’s the Bible Belt, and it took them a long time to get alcohol.”

Rasmussen said the retail store in Carman sees a lot of customers from Winkler and she knows others go to cannabis stores in Morden.

“Winkler might be our next target, if we are able to,” she said.

The only time the two cities had pot sales as an option in a referendum was in 2018, days after the sale of recreational cannabis became legal in Canada.

At that time, 70 per cent of Winkler residents voted against retail sales. Steinbach was 69 per cent against retail pot.

Pro-pot advocates say things could be different this time because populations have increased by thousands in both Winkler and Steinbach.

The two cities are not unfamiliar with referendums. For years, they were some of the final holdouts in the province on allowing alcohol sales.

Seven referendums for alcohol sales failed in Steinbach over the years, until a 2003 vote found 50.9 per cent in favour. That allowed restaurants to serve alcohol with meals. A 2008 council decision allowed liquor stores to open. It took until 2011 for 70 per cent of residents to vote to allow beverage rooms and lounges to open.

Winkler residents voted in favour of cocktail lounges and licensing private clubs in 2003.

Steinbach mayor Earl Funk said council recently voted 6-1 to reject a referendum. He said he has no problem holding the vote if the group gets enough signatures to force one.

“Before this, I have heard nothing about anyone wanting to have a cannabis store in Steinbach,” he said.

“People were against it in 2018, and I haven’t heard much different. But, if there is a referendum, it will be up to the people to decide.

“If the people want it, the people will get it.”

Last week’s vote on a referendum in Winkler ended in a 3-3 tie.

“I don’t know if there will be any change,” Winkler Mayor Henry Siemens said. “But there will definitely be strong feelings around this.”

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca