Winnipeg group advocating to reverse cannabis retail ban in Winkler and Steinbach

An advocate is hoping to persuade some Manitoba communities to change their rules over cannabis sales. Harrison Shin has more.

While most Manitobans can purchase cannabis products after legalization in 2018, some municipalities like the cities of Winkler and Steinbach have banned the stores.

Now, TobaGrown, a Winnipeg cannabis company and advocacy group, is attempting to change that.

“This is provincial. They were allowed via the Liquor, Game and Cannabis Control Act to hold these votes and to allow the people of these cities and towns to make their decisions for them,” founder Jesse Lavoie said.

In 2018, a week after cannabis was legalized federally, both Winkler and Steinbach overwhelmingly voted no to retail cannabis stores in their boundaries. Steinbach voted no by a margin of 1983, 3,686 over 1,703 and Winkler voted no for 2,112 and 923 in favour.

“We’re not throwing shame on the vote in 2018. We’re asking to revisit it. There was no real-time data back then on legalization because legalization had just happened,” Lavoie explained the reasoning.

He presented his case to Winkler’s council on Sept. 23.

City manager of Winkler Jody Penner said a proposed plebiscite will take place in conjunction with the next municipal election in October 2026, if the resolution passes in council.

“The city has already reached out to the Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Authority to obtain approval for the required wording for the resolution. If the resolution is brought forward, it will be debated and voted on at an upcoming regular council meeting,” Penner said in an email.

The city of Steinbach pointed to an Aug. 19 council resolution, which states that a plebiscite motion was denied.

Lavoie said the group is going to try for the second method of reversing the ban– a petition.

“We’re getting it approved by the LGCA. They need to approve the writing, and from the time you get your first signature you have 90 days until your last signature.

“We’re going to start it in March, run the three months and it’s going to be a challenge. Obviously, getting over 3,000 signatures isn’t easy and it has to be witnessed, but we’re prepared to do it.”