Note: in this interview, Roy Roque is joined by Marcy Montpellier, Creator’s Choice retail operations manager.
Entrepreneurship is alive and well on the Wahnapitae First Nation, 50 kilometres northeast of downtown Sudbury.
Taking advantage of Indigenous rights and sovereignty claims, Roy Roque and his brother Gilles expanded a retail cannabis dispensary on the reserve to establish a 16,000 square foot grow op and wholesaling business. Creator’s Choice Indigenous Dispensary currently supplies product to 20 First Nation communities.
His vision for the future of the business is to emulate Tim Horton’s with a Creator’s Choice-branded dispensary on reserves across Canada. And, one day, he hopes the federal and provincial governments will buy Creator’s Choice products.
The business adheres to a set of regulations enacted by the Wahnapitae First Nation band council, some of which are identical to regulations imposed by the federal and provincial governments on off-reserve dispensaries and grow ops. For example, child-proof packaging is used, and proof of age is required from all customers.
The business produces flower, concentrates and edibles, including gummies and baked goods from a 3,800 square-foot kitchen.
In addition to wholesaling to an increasing number of First Nation dispensaries, Creator’s Choice attracts customers from Sudbury and as far away as Manitoulin Island and North Bay.
“We’re basically in the middle of nowhere,” Roy tells us, so a special effort has been made to add to the experience of the outing by opening an ice cream shop and food stand. At some point, he adds, “we’d even like to offer tours.”
The business has created employment for 55 people, many of whom come from Sudbury.
In this video, Roy tells us about the origins of the Wahnapitae First Nation, which currently has a population of 120. The band office, located in a new $4 million complex, employs between 40 and 50 people, many of whom work with local mining companies through Impact Benefit Agreements.