Latest news with #AMCC
Ottawa Citizen
20-05-2025
- Business
- Ottawa Citizen
Why the city plans to sell Wellington Park land cheap to support Edmonton's Africa Centre
Edmonton's executive committee last week endorsed a project by the African Multicultural Community Centre (AMCC). Members voted 5‑0 to recommend negotiating a $1 land sale for a 1.2‑hectare portion of Wellington Park, with a five‑year buy‑back clause. Article content Article content The five in favour at the Wednesday meeting were Mayor Amarjeet Sohi, Coun. Karen Principe, Coun. Aaron Paquette, Coun. Keren Tang and Coun. Tim Cartmell. Article content Article content In December 2024, council directed administration to report on the possibility of selling city land for the project. Article content Article content For the past two decades, the City of Edmonton has collaborated with the Africa Centre to support programming for African and Caribbean communities. Article content The centre delivers a range of programs from cultural preservation and youth development to social supports and economic integration, reaching more than 20,000 people each year. The relationship between the city and Africa Centre formally began in 2007 when the centre entered into a lease agreement for the former Wellington Junior High School at 13160 127 St. The school was condemned in 2017 and city staff assisted with the relocation of Africa Centre to St. Francis Centre where, up until the fall of 2022, the group operated some programs and centralized its administrative staff and functions. In 2022, the centralized administrative office for Africa Centre moved to the Circle Square Professional Building at 11808 St. Albert Tr. Article content Article content Samuel Juru, executive director of the Africa Centre, said support from the city has allowed the group to 'provide services and programs for the community.' Article content Article content Edna Wakene, board chair of the Africa Centre, said more than 60 representatives from African and Caribbean community associations attended a town hall meeting in 2024 and shared in the call for a cultural centre. Article content 'The refresh of the centre's engagement strategy and business case has been an extensive and collaborative undertaking spanning over two years,' she told city council on Wednesday. 'We held six town halls to accommodate different demographics, including language, age and geographical locations. There was clear community consensus for the AMCC to be a centre for implementing a range of programs and services.'
Calgary Herald
20-05-2025
- Business
- Calgary Herald
Why the city plans to sell Wellington Park land cheap to support Edmonton's Africa Centre
Edmonton's executive committee last week endorsed a project by the African Multicultural Community Centre (AMCC). Members voted 5‑0 to recommend negotiating a $1 land sale for a 1.2‑hectare portion of Wellington Park, with a five‑year buy‑back clause. Article content Article content The five in favour at the Wednesday meeting were Mayor Amarjeet Sohi, Coun. Karen Principe, Coun. Aaron Paquette, Coun. Keren Tang and Coun. Tim Cartmell. Article content Article content In December 2024, council directed administration to report on the possibility of selling city land for the project. Article content Article content The centre delivers a range of programs from cultural preservation and youth development to social supports and economic integration, reaching more than 20,000 people each year. The relationship between the city and Africa Centre formally began in 2007 when the centre entered into a lease agreement for the former Wellington Junior High School at 13160 127 St. The school was condemned in 2017 and city staff assisted with the relocation of Africa Centre to St. Francis Centre where, up until the fall of 2022, the group operated some programs and centralized its administrative staff and functions. In 2022, the centralized administrative office for Africa Centre moved to the Circle Square Professional Building at 11808 St. Albert Tr. Article content Article content Samuel Juru, executive director of the Africa Centre, said support from the city has allowed the group to 'provide services and programs for the community.' Article content Article content Edna Wakene, board chair of the Africa Centre, said more than 60 representatives from African and Caribbean community associations attended a town hall meeting in 2024 and shared in the call for a cultural centre. Article content 'The refresh of the centre's engagement strategy and business case has been an extensive and collaborative undertaking spanning over two years,' she told city council on Wednesday. 'We held six town halls to accommodate different demographics, including language, age and geographical locations. There was clear community consensus for the AMCC to be a centre for implementing a range of programs and services.'
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Families file lawsuit against Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission for not creating a patient registry
MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) — Six families filed a lawsuit against the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission last Friday over not having the medicine accessible for their children. Popular Mobile Christmas store to permanently close According to the legal documents, the AMCC has not created a patient registry, which has been a state law since 2022. 'We don't have a patient registry because we cannot start the program until we have licenses issued,' AMCC Director John McMillan said regarding the long delay for medical cannabis accessibility. 'And then the doctors have to be certified by the Alabama Medical Association,' he continued. In 2021, the Alabama Medical Cannabis Bill was signed into law by Gov. Kay Ivey. AMCC was supposed to establish a patient registry list by Sept. 1, 2022. McMillan told the commission has been held back due to extensive litigation, and that must be resolved before medical cannabis can be grown and sold in Alabama. 'The only two licenses that are still tied up in litigation are the dispensary licenses and the integrated licenses,' McMillan said. 'And that's where the big one is, and it all real kind of boils down to the fact that the legislation only allows the commission to issue five integrated licenses, and we had 38 applicants.' In the meantime, certified hemp manufacturing facilities, such as Oscity Labs in Foley, have been waiting to finally sell their products to patients in need. 'We're ready to go,' Oscity Labs CEO Ray French said. 'We could be manufacturing these products within weeks of the commission being allowed to do their job,' French said. 'And that's what's so heartbreaking to see, knowing the patients need this medicine.' US Marshals offering $5K reward for information on Mobile criminal McMillan told he hopes that patients will finally be able to get on the registry by the end of this year, or whenever the litigation is Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Cision Canada
29-04-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
Media Invited to Attend Key Plenary at CBTU's "Our Skills, Our Voice" Annual Conference
OTTAWA, ON, April 29, 2025 /CNW/ - Canada's Building Trades Unions (CBTU) invites members of the media to attend a high-impact plenary session at its annual conference, Our Skills, Our Voice, bringing together leaders from labour, industry, and government to discuss the future of skilled trades in Canada. Plenary Session – Our Skills, Our Voice This dynamic session will explore the role of skilled trades in shaping Canada's economy, workforce development, and just transition strategies. Expect timely discussions on apprenticeships, labour mobility, infrastructure investment, and inclusion in the skilled trades workforce. Speakers include: Dalton McGuinty, Former Premier of Ontario Jason Kenney, Former Premier of Alberta Dwight Ball, Former Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador Jim Hogarth, Executive Director & Curtis Houston, Co-Founder and Chair, Helmets to Hardhats The Honourable Rajan Sawhney, Minister of Advanced Education, Alberta Senator Andrew Cardozo, Senator for Ontario Ken Sandmoen, Board Chair, AMCC Mandy Kaiser, co-chair AMCC Robert Kucheran, co-chair AMCC Marc Wahl, Leader, Turnaround, NOVA Chemicals WHEN: Tuesday, April 29, 2025 Plenary begins at 1:00 PM EST Media check-in opens 30 minutes prior WHERE: Westin Hotel Ottawa 11 Colonel By Drive Ottawa, ON With skilled trades playing a pivotal role in Canada's transition to a low-carbon economy and in meeting labour demands in infrastructure and housing, this plenary offers critical insight and firsthand perspectives from the frontlines of construction and labour. SOURCE Canada's Building Trades Unions
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Court ruling allows Alabama medical cannabis licensing to proceed
Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission Chair Rex Vaughn talks to an AMCC lawyer during a meeting in Montgomery on Dec. 12, 2023. The Alabama Court of Civil Appeals on Friday morning overturned a lower court's ruling blocking the medical cannabis licensing, ruling the court lacked jurisdiction.(Alander Rocha/Alabama Reflector) The Alabama Court of Civil Appeals on Friday overturned a temporary restraining order (TRO) that had blocked the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC) from issuing business licenses for medical marijuana production for nearly two years. In a unanimous ruling, the justices rule that the Montgomery County Circuit Court lacked jurisdiction when it issued a stay in favor of Alabama Always, a company seeking a medical cannabis license, and dismissed the case, directing the lower court to vacate the TRO, according to the court order. 'Unless and until the AMCC and the commissioners are allowed to proceed, it remains speculative as to whether … they will impair or threaten to impair the procedural right of Alabama Always to a contested-case hearing,' the opinion said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The decision supports the AMCC's position that its licensing decisions are not final until an investigative hearing process is completed. According to the commission, a final order will be issued once the hearings conclude, and it could then be subject to a lawsuit. 'On behalf of the many long-suffering patients in Alabama who have waited far too long for access to the benefits of medical cannabis products, we are pleased with today's decision,' said AMCC Director John McMillan in a statement. 'We are hopeful that this decision will remove the obstacles that have prevented the Commission from completing the licensing process and doing the work the law charged it to do.' Alabama Always sought a license to run an integrated facility — one that grows, processes and distributes marijuana — but was denied three times. The firm filed multiple lawsuits challenging the commission's procedures. Will Somerville, an attorney representing the company, said in a phone interview Friday morning that the appellate court's ruling was a victory despite the dismissal. 'They really gave us what we want,' Somerville said. 'We've been asking for an order requiring the commission to follow the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), and the court just said that the provisions of the APA apply here, whether the commission has adopted rules compliant with them or not.' Under the APA, companies denied licenses are entitled to a hearing where they can challenge the commission's decisions and present evidence before an administrative law judge. Somerville said the ruling means companies like Alabama Always can now formally contest the awarding of licenses. 'As a practical matter, you're going to have 17 or 18 different companies suing each other in an administrative process,' he said, describing the likely next steps. Somerville said that the process in large similar cases may involve renting a hotel conference room for about three weeks to hold hearings before an administrative law judge. Parties would gather around a large table, and the proceeding functions much like a trial. Witnesses would be called and cross-examined, and counsel would make arguments and present evidence. The administrative law judge could then issue a decision based on the evidence, including formal findings of fact and conclusions of law. The ruling clarifies that applicants who were denied licenses or were awarded licenses on Dec. 12, 2023, can now initiate contested case proceedings. According to Somerville, these proceedings will involve discovery, depositions, and site inspections of other applicants' facilities. 'This is the process that should have been followed from the beginning,' Somerville said. 'We've been asking for this for a year and a half.' The AMCC has already issued licenses in the cultivator, processor, secure transporter and state testing laboratory categories but has been blocked from moving forward with dispensary and integrated facility licenses due to ongoing litigation. Commission Chairman Rex Vaughn expressed optimism that the ruling would expedite patient access to medical cannabis. 'Today, we have hope for those patients — hope that we can proceed with our hearing process and get those products into their hands,' Vaughn said. Alabama's medical cannabis law, which passed in 2021, allows registered physicians to recommend cannabis for patients with qualifying conditions, including cancer-related pain, epilepsy, PTSD, and chronic pain. Approved products include tablets, tinctures, patches, oils, and gummies only in peach flavor, but raw plant material and smokable forms remain prohibited. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
