MARIJUANA RETURNS TO AGENDA

A four-hour council meeting ended in acrimony on Monday after council
voted to allow Coun. Joy Davies to do preliminary work on a medical
marijuana task force.

Davies will be approaching a number of stakeholders such as health
officials, elected representatives and police, and asking them if they
will be willing to sit on a committee.

If approved, the committee will study the feasibility of providing
legal, local, safe access to medical marijuana.

However, Davies has only been empowered to ask stakeholders if they
would be willing to sit.

Davies said she was speaking on behalf of a group of citizens whose
names would remain anonymous for their protection. Councillors
Michael Wirischagin, Cher Wyers and Gene Robert voted against the motion.

Wyers said the issue was "fracturing" council and distracting focus
from important issues such as the possibility of a railway
abandonment.

After it was approved, Wirischagin and Robert demanded a recess before
hearing the mayor's report.

"How much time have we spent discussing medical marijuana?" asked
Robert speaking out of order.

Earlier Coun. Christine Thompson asked council and the community not
to make the issue personal.

"It does not have to be divisive," she said speaking in defence of
Coun. Davies. "We are not discussing the issue of the legalization of
illegal drugs."

The meeting ended shortly before 11 p.m. and council agreed to
continue the council meeting at 9 a.m. the next day.