By Derek Cornet

Special council meeting scheduled in La Ronge after initial alcohol and cannabis bylaw defeated

Nov 29, 2018 | 11:02 AM

A special council meeting has been called in La Ronge after a bylaw to control the sale, distribution and consumption of alcohol and cannabis initially failed to garner enough votes to proceed.

Brought to the table Wednesday at a regular meeting by Coun. Matt Klassen and seconded by Deputy-Mayor Hugh Watt, the first reading for the bylaw came to a sudden end when Mayor Ron Woytowich, along with councillors Dallas Everest, Rex McPhail and Glenn Watchel voted against it. Although the bylaw was amended just before it went to a vote, Klassen explained there were still some changes council wanted to see made.

“There were some points in the bylaw they didn’t agree with, not necessarily the entire bylaw but some specific points,” he said. “The conversation was brought back later in the meeting to have different considerations, so instead of just squashing this whole thing, there was a motion made to reconsider that vote.”

If the first reading passes at the special meeting scheduled at the town office Saturday at 9:30 a.m., Klassen noted it would go to a second and third reading at a regular meeting Dec. 12 and ultimately come into force New Year’s Day. The bylaw specifically targets the operating hours of business which sell alcohol and cannabis, and has the potential to shut them down as early as 8 p.m. on statutory holidays and Sundays, among other changes.

“If this vote passes on Saturday, we’ve committed to sending a letter to all of the businesses involved to let them know exactly what’s happening,” Klassen said.

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Implementing changes to the way alcohol is sold in La Ronge has proven to be a contentious issue for town council throughout the year. In a recorded vote at a meeting in June, a resolution to instruct administration to prepare a bylaw to close alcohol retail off-sales early nearly failed when Woytowich, as well as Everest and Coun. Jordan McPhail voted against it. When a motion was brought forward to approve an alcohol strategy back in January, Woytowich and Jordan McPhail weren’t in favour of it.

derek.cornet@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @saskjourno