Ryan Bernard, right, talks to RM of Buckland residents about his plans to build a convenience store that would also sell alcohol next to Hwy 2 near Cloarec Rd. (Susan McNeil/paNOW)

By Susan McNeil

Liquor sale opposition

Buckland residents turn out to oppose liquor store application

Oct 9, 2024 | 5:06 PM

A public hearing to re-zone 55 acres of land along Highway 2 and Cloarec Road for a convenience store that would also sell alcohol, was met with strong opposition from residents.

The RM of Buckland meeting room was packed on Wednesday morning with about 50 residents turning out to voice their opposition. Some had also written letters.

The largest concern was safety, as residents pointed out the nearby school and said that the intersection is very busy as drivers use the Cloarec Road to cut across from the Pulp Haul Road to the southeast.

Ryan Bernard, who bought the land with the intention of developing four acres and farming the rest, spoke to the crowd.

“Obviously, there’s a lot of opinions that want to be expressed and I value hearing each and every one of you guys. I didn’t get into this to make a bunch of enemies. I’m glad we’re here having this discussion, and I hope it can be a productive one,” he said.

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“I’m here to openly and honestly answer everybody’s questions, address any concerns and just have a productive discussion.”

As many of the citizen’s issues seemed connected to the drive-thru aspect of the business, Bernard said he is willing to change that and have a delivery service instead. He also said he tentatively plans the business hours from 7 am to 10 pm. Those hours are in line with the rules in the nearby City of Prince Albert, which recently changed its bylaws to stop liquor stores from opening before 10 am and staying open past 11 pm.

R.M. of Buckland Planning Officer Jason Kaptein said he grouped the written concerns of residents into eight general categories; traffic safety, increased crime, closeness to the school, having liquor sales, opposition to changing farmland to commercial use, environmental, impact on property values and a perceived lack of public consultation.

Many of the residents said they did not hear about the application from the RM, they found out through social media or heard from neighbours.

Many said they choose to live in the RM because they value peace and quiet and see a liquor store and possible associated activity as a threat to that.

“We believe everyone’s safety is paramount. As such, we continue discussions with appropriate authorities and work on potential risk mitigation options for increased traffic,” Bernard said.

A simple solution would be turning lanes.

Kaptein explained that in order to get a list of landowners, he goes into ISC (which maintains property records in Saskatchewan) and puts in his set distance from the subject property and a list of addresses is generated. Those are the people that get informed of the land use change.

With an election pending and all of the four seats having contenders, Reeve Don Fyrk explained that this council will not make the decision on the rezoning

First reading has happened, which is followed by the public hearing and then second and third reading must pass.

The newly elected council will be given the job of making the decision, which will likely happen in their second meeting in December.

A resident said that in his opinion, the people who will be making the decision are the ones who should be in the meeting with the residents.

Watching the video is not as effective as having the council in the same room as their voters, he said.

The municipality will still have work to do, should the rezoning pass. Bernard will have to get a development permit, which council can place conditions on, followed by a building permit and inspections.

He will also be required to pay for a traffic analyst to determine the impact the business would have on an intersection residents already say is unsafe.

In a written explanation, Bernard detailed the plans he has for the development, which would be called Trapper’s Convenience and Liquor.

It would offer beer, wine and spirits as a subsection of the convenience store. Goods such as fuel, light grocery, snacks and supplies will be sold, and all alcohol will be sold closed. There will be no consumption onsite.

He and his wife, who would be a partner in the business along with extended family members, are residents themselves and have lived in the RM for the last 12 years.

He bought two liquor licenses from SLGA, which came with a deadline to use.

In response to a query from paNOW, Sask. Highways confirmed there is a long-term plan to twin Highway 2 to the White Star Road.

They held an online public engagement session in December 2022 to look at options and said the plan is in the design stage with no timeline set for construction.

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susan.mcneil@pattisonmedia.com