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Medical marijuana growing facility planned for Yorkton

A long-rumoured medical marijuana growing facility for Yorkton is hearsay no longer. Last week, Canopy Growth Corporation (CGC) announced it was converting the old dairy producers building on York road into a cannabis growing operation.
yorkton pot plant
Artist's conception of new marijuana growing facility planned for the old dairy producers building on York Road.

A long-rumoured medical marijuana growing facility for Yorkton is hearsay no longer. Last week, Canopy Growth Corporation (CGC) announced it was converting the old dairy producers building on York road into a cannabis growing operation.
The announcement included a promise of 40 to 50 new jobs in the City, for which Andrew MacCorquodale, CGC’s Head of Operations for western Canada said would include local hires.

“It’s priority number one,” MacCorquodale told CTV. “We definitely have a local first hiring priority. We’re making a lot of effort right now to let it be known that we are looking for talented people to join the team, so that we can execute on not only the operation but the expansion of this operation. We will certainly be looking within Yorkton and the surrounding areas very closely.”

CGC, operating as Tweed Grasslands, is looking at a 90,000 square foot facility with plans to grow to 300,000 square feet and expand into the recreational market.

“Tweed Grasslands will supply medical markets in Canada and abroad as they emerge in a federally legal manner, as well as the Canadian recreational cannabis market upon the establishment of a national regulatory framework,” a press release stated.

Mayor Bob Maloney said he does not support legalization, but has no concerns about the Yorkton facility.

“I have no problem with that at all,” he said. “It’s all above board and at the end of the day they’re bringing jobs to the city, which is always a good thing. That’s how Yorkton grows.”

Maloney noted the benefits of 40 to 50 jobs is felt everywhere from the housing market to schools, restaurants, retail stores and even hotels.

“All those spinoffs are terrific for the city,” he said.
Canopy Growth was not the original proponent of the grow operation, but came by it by purchasing rTrees Producers Limited Inc., including the company’s late-stage application under Health Canada’s access to cannabis for medical purposes (ACMP) regulations.

“We knew we wanted to grow this in Saskatchewan, which is what we felt is the epicentre of Canadian agriculture,” MacCorquordale said. “Yorkton was a good fit because of the building. This former dairy producers creamery existed, it was not utilized at the time. Just given its structure, it was everything that we required for a legal medicinal grow-op.”

The company is currently accepting applications for section growers, quality control associates, construction project manager and cultivation manager.