Page 6 - JanUarY 5 , 2017 - martensville messenger
Medical Marijuana
Plan Receives Preliminary Approval
Shanine Sealey , Martensville Messenger
During the RM of Corman Park Regular Council meeting that took place December 19th , a discussion took place , which ended with the plans to construct and operate a medical marijuana facility receiving preliminary approval . The facility , which has been approved by Health Canada , will be located at the intersection of Township Road 380 and Highway 684 on a parcel of land consisting of 61.84 acres .
The developer , Bold Growth Inc ., will grow and process all medicinal marijuana products within the building , and will not provide a storefront area , or public access . All products will be shipped to customers via Canada Post or Purolator . The facility will consist of approximately 26,000 square feet of warehouse growing space , with an attached 4,000 square foot building for office space , which will be built on two floors . A total of 25-30 full time staff is expected to be employed within the facility .
When brought to property owners within a 1.6 km radius of the proposed location , several concerns were voiced , such as odor , increase in traffic , people snooping around , noise , dust , the impact on land values , chemical usage such as pesticides , rodenticides , etc ., among others . The location will not have any signage , or physical attributes acknowledging what is produced within , stating that “ our intentions are to operate unnoticed by the public .” Plans to utilize an existing approach onto the property along Highway 684 will prevent an increase in traffic along the gravel roads . All work will be done within the facility , and will not emit any offensive odors or dust , minimal noise and any exhausted air will be filtered before leaving the facility , as per Health Canada requirements .
For more information on this facility , visit www . rmcormanpark . ca to view further details from the December 19th Regular Council Meeting .
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One Year Later : A Somber Note To The Holidays For The Van De Vorst Family
Typically , the holidays are a time for family and celebrating . For Louis Van de Vorst of Saskatoon , this holiday season hasn ’ t been anything like the rest as it marks an anniversary he ’ d sooner forget .
“ You know in the back of your mind that it ’ s the holidays , but things just aren ’ t the same ,” said Van de Vorst . “ Instead of having four grandchildren , now we only have two . We used to have 14 of us around the family table ; now we ’ ve pretty well lost a third of that .”
In the early hours of the morning on Jan . 3 , 2016 , Van de Vorst ’ s son , Jordan was driving his family home after a night of visiting with friends . His vehicle was hit by an impaired driver , killing him and his wife , Chanda . Their two young children , Kamryn and Miguire died later in hospital .
Van de Vorst recalls the morning vividly . While police officers were at his home delivering the news , they received an urgent call from a neurosurgeon .
“ He said that we didn ’ t have a whole lot of time . Jordan and Chanda were already gone . We soon found out that Miguire didn ’ t have much time and that Kamryn was on life support and likely wouldn ’ t survive either .”
As tragic as Louis Van de Vorst ’ s story is , it ’ s not uncommon . Impaired driving is a senseless theme that plays out all too often on Saskatchewan ’ s roads . In 2015 , 54 people were killed and 580 others were injured in impaired driving crashes .
That ’ s why SGI and law enforcement are once again turning their attention to the issue of impaired driving in January . Throughout the month , police across the province will be watching for drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs and will be enforcing new , tougher impaired driving laws .
A year has come and gone , but for the Van de Vorst family , the missed anniversaries , birthdays and other special occasions haven ’ t gotten any easier .
“ You realize that they ’ re no longer with us and that the times that we had with them were very precious ,” said Van de Vorst . “ What we miss most is the laughter , the fun and the good times that we had together with them .”
New impaired driving legislation effective Jan . 1 ,
2017 makes Saskatchewan ’ s impaired driving laws among the toughest in the country . Changes build on laws implemented in 2014 to strengthen impaired driving legislation in S a s k a t c h e w a n with the aim of stopping tragedies like the Van de Vorsts ’.
W h i l e laws are an added deterrent , p r e v e n t i n g impaired driving starts with making the commitment to make smart , safe and sober decisions before getting behind the wheel :
ABOVE : From L to R - Kamryn , Jordan and Chanda holding Miguire .
• Make the commitment to never drive while impaired by alcohol or drugs , not only as a New Year ’ s resolution , but all year long .
• Familiarize yourself with impaired driving laws and how they ’ ve changed .
• Even if you ’ ve had a drink or two , don ’ t drive . Small amounts of alcohol still impact driving ability and can come with serious consequences .
• Have a plan ahead of time and stick to it , including a safe ride to and from your destination , and anywhere in between .
• Know the effects of alcohol / drugs on your body . Even after a good night ’ s rest , you can still be legally impaired the next day .
• Avoid mixing alcohol and drugs ( legal or illegal ). The combination can have a multiplying effect on impairment .
While it remains a difficult topic for Van de Vorst , he hopes people can learn from his story .
“ People need to consider what their actions are doing to other people , whether complete strangers or their family and the people that you love . Think about that safe ride home before you go because you ’ re not immune to it . It can happen to you in an instant , at any time , any place .”
Catherine McKay , the impaired driver that struck the Van de Vorst family , pled guilty to four counts of impaired driving causing death this past July . She was given a 10-year sentence . On the night of the accident , McKay ’ s blood alcohol level was three times the legal limit .
New Impaired Driving Laws & Cell Phone Laws Effective January 1
As of January 1st , the laws in Saskatchewan regarding Impaired Driving have had a considerable change . “ These changes reinforce that driving when you ’ ve been drinking is the wrong decision ,” Minister responsible for SGI Joe Hargrave said . “ Tougher consequences around vehicle seizures , licence suspensions and mandatory ignition interlock drive home the point that you risk not only your life but the lives of everyone else on the road when you choose to drive impaired . Don ’ t risk it .”
Effective January 1st ; Experienced drivers who are charged for the first time with having a blood alcohol content ( BAC ) over . 04 will have their vehicle seized for three days ; There will be zero tolerance for drugs and alcohol for all drivers 21 and under and all new drivers ; and ignition interlock laws will be the strongest in Canada , with mandatory ignition interlock for drivers who register a BAC of . 16 or greater or refuse to provide a breath sample ( 1st offence - two years ; 2nd offence - five years ; 3rd and subsequent offence - 10 years ). “ If you ’ re 21 or under or a new driver , remember that
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zero tolerance means you can ’ t consume any alcohol or drugs before driving ,” Hargrave said .
Safe ride options include : taking the bus , planning for a designated driver or using a designated driving service ; calling a cab , friend or family member for a ride ; or , planning to spend the night . Residents are reminded they can report suspected impaired drivers to police by calling 9-1-1 . In 2015 in Saskatchewan , there were nearly 1,200 impaired driving collisions , killing 54 people and injuring 580 others .
A new cellphone law is also in effect January 1 . To help prevent distracted driving , the cellphone law is expanding from “ using ” a cellphone while driving to “ holding , viewing , using or manipulating ” a cellphone while driving .
The following applies under both the current and new cellphone law ; All drivers are prohibited from using hand-held cellphones and experienced drivers can use hands-free devices , but new drivers can ’ t .
If the cellphone is mounted on the dash , clipped to the visor or in a cradle , it ' s considered hands-free and it ’ s OK for an experienced driver to use it , provided they can access the phone with one touch of a button or voice commands . New drivers , meaning anyone in a Graduated Driver Licensing program , are prohibited from using hands-free cellphones , as well as hand-held cellphones .