For the first time, Kamloops council decided to not support an application for a cannabis retail store.

With three councillors absent, council voted 4-2 against a retail cannabis application for 685 Tranquille Road.

Councillor Kathy Sinclair voted ‘no’ after staff with a family support centre right next door, Lii Michif Otipemisiwak, pleaded for council to do so.

“I think the city has lined up our zoning bylaws very well, but this is a situation that I did not anticipate. And I believe that this would have an effect on the community in a way that would be negative,” Sinclair says.

“There are individuals who go through detox and recovery for cannabis, and putting families who have already struggled with addictions recovery in this situation, I don’t believe this is the right location.”

Council did vote unanimously to support three other cannabis store applications, at 100-125 4th Avenue downtown, at 520-1055 Hillside Drive in Aberdeen and at 5-111 Oriole Road at Valleyview.

They’ve now supported 13 of 14 proposals that have come forward.