It’s official: a cannabis retail outlet located in the town of Outlook will not be opening for business in the foreseeable future.
At least, not under the previous applicant.
In a previous article, it was revealed that Dr. Jean Paul Lim, a BC-based clinical instructor and entrepreneur, had been denied an opportunity to open his cannabis stores in relation to the SLGA’s final application review process, and was basically waiting to hear the fate of his would-be businesses. In addition to the location in Outlook that was set to open on Saskatchewan Avenue – two doors down from The Outlook, in fact – Lim also had storefronts in the communities of Melfort and Rosetown.
Following print publication of the article, a ‘For Lease’ sign was placed in the window of the Outlook shop (see photo).
Stephanie Choma, a spokesperson with the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA), reached out to The Outlook on Friday, June 14 to provide further update on this developing story.
Choma noted that Dr. Lim had chosen to withdraw his applications for the stores in Outlook, Rosetown and Melfort. A specific reason was not provided to this reporter, and attempts to reach Dr. Lim for comment have been unsuccessful.
So now, it remains to be seen if someone else who entered their names in the provincial government’s 2018 permit lottery will still hold interest in establishing a cannabis outlet in Outlook.
As part of the initial selection process last year, SLGA established a ‘runner up’ list of two proponents per available permit, which would only be used if the initial proponent that was selected turned out to be ineligible or withdrew from the process.
We may soon find out if Outlook will have another possible store owner, as Stephanie revealed that SLGA “will be notifying the runner ups for Outlook, Rosetown and Melfort in the near future.”
After that runner up has been contacted, and should they still show interest in establishing a storefront, they will still be required to proceed through SLGA’s permitting process, including the formal application paperwork, submitting and passing a good character check, and other variables.
