Mission pharmacy shelved after drug rumours

Mission council approved a zoning amendment last month that would ban pharmacies and medical clinics from setting up shop in the community's downtown core, at least until downtown revitalization plans are put into place next year.

However, the district is now facing a lawsuit by the party that wanted to open a pharmacy at 33133 First Ave., the former site of the community policing station.

Council made their decision at a special meeting Aug. 9 to support the zoning change, in a 5-2 vote. Opposing the exclusion were councillors Jenny Stevens and Nelson Tilbury. Both councillors were uncomfortable supporting a motion they believe was based on unsupported rumours the proponent intended to sell medical marijuana, and dispense methadone and needles to addicts.

"First of all, every other pharmacy in town can dispense methadone, so that's not new," said Stevens, but she mainly objects to bylaws that target groups or businesses. Mission tried that in 2000, when it proposed 11 bylaws to restrict activities downtown, but all were dropped as they were legally questionable.

"You can't legislate against a group of people, full stop. It's against the Charter of Rights . . . and I'm not prepared to support a bylaw that targets one business, and that's what this bylaw does," she said.

A downtown resident, Stevens added the community, which happens to accommodate low-income seniors and other residents, needed a pharmacy to service the area.

After the vote, Mayor Ted Adlem insisted the zoning change was made in support of reviving the downtown area, not because of rumours. He noted there were other pharmacies at nearby shopping centres.

As the application to renovate the building was made in the spring, talk began to swirl that the proposed pharmacy would dispense methadone, medical marijuana and needles to drug users.

On May 22, the district withheld the building permit until the June 25 public hearing, where council's proposal to amend downtown zoning to exclude pharmacies and medical clinics from Railway, First and Second avenues received at least 78 letters in support, most from downtown businesses and their employees.

When asked by Stevens at the public hearing, Umesh Raniga, a representative of Life Pharmacy Inc. and 0773184 BC Ltd., said the business would not dispense needles or be a methadone clinic.

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Mission pharmacy shelved after drug rumours