A6 | NEWS | THEPROVINCE.COM THURSDAY, JANUARY 24, 2013 Rebagliati pins hopes on pot shops RETAIL: Changes to federal regulations open opportunity for chain of medical-marijuana dispensaries

STEPHANIE IP AND JENNIFER SALTMAN What do you think? THE PROVINCE Comment on this story online at theprovince.com or email us at It’s a nugget of an idea. [email protected]. Olympic gold medallist Ross Reba- Include your name and address. gliati hopes to strike it rich when he sets up a medical-marijuana café and retail store in Whistler this fall. “People need what they need on a followed by secondary storefronts regular basis and they need to have in Toronto (early 2014) and Van- it available fairly readily — this is couver. why medical-marijuana dispensing The professional snowboarder exists,” Rebagliati told The Province, will use his celebrity to bolster the citing the needs of cancer patients business’s chance of success. Reba- and those dealing with pain follow- gliati plans to establish revenues by ing surgery. “If it’s not accessible, the the second quarter from the sale of system just doesn’t work.” retail items through its online store- Health announced in front. December that the federal govern- He also anticipates revenues of ment will no longer produce and $5 million in retail sales and fran- distribute pot for medical purposes, chise fees and $50 million in medi- opening up the market to firms that cal-marijuana sales in his third year meet strict security requirements. of business, according to a business Rebagliati plans to take advantage plan available online. of that change by applying to become The same plan states that the com- a medical-marijuana producer pany intends to go public “in the very under the business name Rebagli- near future.” ati Gold Enterprises Ltd. and build Rebagliati is listed as the compa- a franchise model to license “Ross’s ny president, with Patrick Smyth of Gold” stores throughout Canada. Ocean Eclipse Venture Capital as His flagship Whistler store, slated director and Kenneth Lelek (World to open in autumn 2013, will feature Fund Corp.) as advisers. an upscale coffee-shop setting, retail Rebagliati drew international atten- displays and medical professionals tion when he was briefly stripped of on staff. his 1998 gold medal at the Olympics “You could go in there and grab a in Nagano, Japan, after he tested pos- coffee while waiting for a doctor’s itive for pot following snowboard- appointment,” he said, noting the ing’s debut at the Games. His medal store would be styled after Europe- was reinstated because, at the time, an cafés he encountered while tour- marijuana wasn’t banned as a per- ing the World Cup cir- formance-enhancing drug. cuit. [email protected] Olympic gold-medal snowboarder Ross Rebagliati and his son Ryan Enzo Rebagliati in 2009. Rebagliati The Whistler location would be [email protected] is hoping to open a chain of medical-marijuana stores called Ross’s Gold. Clark hopes for a Bollywood ending at election time

he original idea to bring a During that Toronto trip, Clark got “A lot of callers to my show are say - of their cause Tuesday night in North Bollywood film extravaganza a first-hand look at the excitement ing it’s nothing but a political gim- . Tto Vancouver likely occurred generated by the Bollywood mov- mick,” talk-show host Gurpreet But Clark — a master of politi- to Premier Christy Clark in June ie industry within the politically Singh, of Surrey-based Radio India, cal mistiming — has rejected the 2011, when she was in Toronto for dynamic Indo-Canadian commu- told me Wednesday. local industry’s requests for juicier a speech. nity. “I don’t think it will mean much for tax credits, creating the impression Clark stayed at the ritzy Royal McGuinty and his cabinet minis- decided voters. But people love Bol- she’s lavishing money on foreign York Hotel — the same hotel where ters played starring roles at the var- lywood stars. When they see Christy filmmakers while our own domes- a number of Bollywood movie stars ious galas and events surrounding Clark with these stars, maybe it will tic sector gets the shaft. were embedded for the Interna- the Toronto festival. Now watch for make a difference with some unde- NDP leader Adrian Dix seized on tional Indian Film Academy Awards Michael Smyth Clark and her B.C. Liberals to soak cideds.” the contradiction Wednesday and event. up the limelight here, too. The event, which will cost B.C. jetted off to L.A. for two days of IN THE HOUSE The hotel was crawling with Indi- The Indo-Canadian vote will be taxpayers $11 million, is clearly meetings with film executives, while an film stars, producers, media and crucial in the May election in sev- designed to extract the most posi- accusing the Liberals of abandoning various hangers-on. Limos lined McGuinty’s Liberals managed to eral closely contested ridings, espe- tive political impact in the commu- the B.C. industry. the curb outside, where fans and defy the pundits and pollsters and cially in Surrey, where Clark’s Liber- nity at the most opportune time: I have a feeling Clark may have to paparazzi clamoured for a glimpse win re-election in Ontario that fall. als will be in tooth-and-nail battles Three days of hype and hoopla, just climb down — again — and sweet- of the Bollywood glitterati. The moral of the story: If you think with the NDP. a month before the election. en the pot for the B.C. film sector. In Clark was intrigued to learn the the Bollywood film awards now The Indo-Canadian vote is also Unfortunately for Clark, it comes the meantime, the Bollywood show event was bankrolled to the tune of winging their way to Vancouver are important in several Fraser Valley at the same time ’s must go on, as Clark soaks up every $12 million by the Ontario govern- all about cultural exchange and tour- ridings, where the Liberals now are own domestic film industry is tak- star-powered photo-op, and vote, ment, then in pre-election mode. ism marketing, then I’ve got a bridge in unexpected trouble. ing a beating and pleading with the she can find. I’m certain Clark became even in Mumbai I’d like to sell you. So bring on the Bollywood star government for help. Thousands of twitter.com/MikeSmythNews more intrigued after Dalton This is about politics. power. industry workers rallied in support [email protected]