Court order follows repeated police visits
A Saskatoon convenience store has been ordered to close for 90 days after a Court of King’s Bench judge found evidence of ongoing drug-related disturbances affecting people in the surrounding community.
Justice R.C. Mills issued the order on Sept. 22 under Saskatchewan’s Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act, commonly known as the SCAN Act. The decision applies to 7 Days Confectionery & Grocery at 1507 20th Street West and requires owner Mohammed Akhtar to leave the property during the closure period.
The legislation allows a court to intervene when evidence shows activities at a property are threatening the health, safety or security of occupants or people in the neighbourhood. In this case, the court concluded there was enough evidence of habitual disturbances connected to drugs to meet that threshold.
Police reported activity around the business
According to court documents, the Saskatoon Police Service had been attending the property frequently since 2022. Police suspected the store was being used for illegal drug sales and reported regular calls for service and overdoses connected to the location.
SPS surveillance also recorded people gathering around the business, with some appearing to be under the influence of drugs. The evidence presented to the court included police findings and broader community-safety concerns considered under the SCAN Act.
“The health, safety and security of one or more of the occupants of the property or persons in the community or neighbourhood.”
The quoted wording is part of the legal test the court applied in deciding whether the property met the act’s requirements. The order is not limited to shutting the doors. It also prohibits people from returning to the premises to consume, exchange, possess, sell, transfer or use illegal and controlled substances.
Owner denied drug activity
Akhtar told the court he had taken steps to address concerns about illegal cigarette sales, another issue raised in the evidence. He denied that drugs were being sold or that overdoses had taken place on the property.
Mills’ decision also referred to photographs of the store’s interior and questioned whether the apparent size of the operation and the goods being sold could reasonably support a living. That observation formed part of the court’s assessment of the evidence before it, alongside the police surveillance and reports of disturbances.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Business | 7 Days Confectionery & Grocery |
| Location | 1507 20th Street West, Saskatoon |
| Order date | Sept. 22 |
| Closure period | 90 days |
| Legislation | Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act |
Requirements during the closure
The order directs the director of community operations to close the property for the full period. It also terminates any tenancy agreement or lease associated with the premises and requires Akhtar to vacate and remain out of the property.
Beyond the temporary closure, Akhtar is required to exercise due diligence to prevent drug-related activity at the site. The order bars people from engaging in those activities on the property and prevents them from re-entering it during the period set by the court.
The case shows how Saskatchewan’s community-safety law can be used when police evidence and neighbourhood concerns are brought before the courts. For people living and working near the 20th Street West business, the immediate result is a court-directed shutdown intended to stop the disturbances and provide time for changes to the operation.
