Bent Anchor applies to re-zone for cannabis retail

On July 7^th at a livestreamed planning meeting on YouTube, Madawaska Valley Council will consider an application for re-zoning to allow the owners of the Bent Anchor Bar & Restaurant in Combermere to add a retail store as a permitted use in the Tourism Commercial – Exception One (TC-E1) Zone. The owners wish to operate a seasonal cannabis retail store at their location on the Madawaska River. Residents who want to express their views about the pending application must do so before the July 2^nd deadline for comment.

The owners of the Bent Anchor, Jameel Bharmal and Matty Psuty (photo above),  told The Current that the retail outlet would be in addition to the restaurant and bar which currently employs 25 people. Like the restaurant, the shop would also be open from Fathers’ Day to Labour Day. They emphasized that in accordance with Ontario law customers would purchase cannabis products for consumption at home, not on site. Psuty and Bharmal said that although the outlet would be available for area residents and cottagers, their primary goal was to increase international visitors to the Valley through cannatourism. 

Bharmal said, “Our long term plan is cannatourism. We feel that Madawaska Valley is one of the most beautiful parts of Ontario. There is a good opportunity to encourage Europeans to come to this part of the world and part of that attraction would be not only experiencing the nature, but a lot of Europeans have expressed interest in cannabis experiences.” Once re-zoned they intend to create a very small store which is specifically tailored towards their clientele. “Our cannabis store will not be open late and the items that will be for sale in it will be high cost…. We are not trying to cater to the heavy or regular user. We are trying to cater to the person who would like a cannabis experience.” By intending to concentrate on high-value products in their outlet, the owners say they can offer a cannabis experience similar to wine tourism in other regions.

Meanwhile Psuty and Bharmal are enjoying life in the Madawaska Valley. They describe the area as a “gem” and rave about its many features. Psuty began spending time here as a child at the Polish Scout camps in Kaszuby. Now he and his family spend summers at their property on Blackfish Bay. Some years back he bought the former Beaver Lake Lodge at Combermere and Chippawa Roads, transforming it into Hush Lodge which is now operated by Gord and Corinne Evely. So he knows the Valley and the people in it.

Bent Anchor extended seating area

But both men acknowledge that their business goals may not be considered attractive by all in the community. Recently they held an informal session to explain their plans to neighbours, but “word got out” and they found themselves with a sizeable crowd. One of the issues that concerns some neighbours is that the access road to the property is owned by a neighbour, not by the Bent Anchor, and two neighbouring properties rely on it as their only access. Parking is another worry, along with a potential increase in traffic. Yet another concern is being voiced by a group calling themselves “Combermere parents protecting our children” who are circulating a petition asking people to boycott the Bent Anchor until they drop the application for a retail cannabis outlet. The application has been the subject of much comment — both for and against — on social media.

In response to these concerns, Psuty and Bharmal pointed out that after the Bent Anchor reopened in June 2019 under their ownership, they did away with the late night drinking and karaoke. They said their approach is more family-friendly and is aimed at appealing to a broad cross-section, pointing out they are open on Sunday afternoons and evenings so that local tourism operators have a place to hang out and relax after their own guests have hit the road back to Ottawa and Toronto. They have changed the menu, added a smokery and expanded the patio area. Along with the dock, beach, seating areas and a Pink Flamingo swim raft in the Madawaska River, they have added a volleyball court and are about to erect a tepee. They have also increased the size of the parking lot by about 35 percent which they hope may go some way to alleviating any concerns about parking.

Bharmal said, “I feel we are bearing the brunt of a conversation that should have been had when [the municipality] was debating whether they should opt in or not…. We’re trying to expand this business based on the idea of tourist experiences.” He listed activities that many Valley residents take for granted but that international tourists would be interested in; for example, maple syrup production.

He feels there is a huge opportunity and said, “We want to be part of it…. We are laying down roots here. We want to leave a legacy business to our kids. Part of that would be to attract tourism and one of the highest growth areas right now is cannatourism.”

Editor’s note: Also on the agenda for Madawaska Valley Council at the July 7th planning meeting is the re-zoning application for the Chippawa Shores development (originally scheduled for June) about which The Current has previously reported.