The newest crop growing in Pointe-Claire is marijuana. Inside a nondescript brown building at the corner of Hymus Boulevard and Alston Avenue is Aurora’s new 40,000 sq.-ft. cannabis production facility.
“This is like indoor cannabis production 2.0,” said Aurora Executive Vice-President Cam Battley. “It’s the most advanced production facility in the world right now. We’re pretty excited to get it operating.”
Once the facility is fully operational, marijuana will be grown by the ton in the heart of the West Island.
“We’ve got 10 flower rooms. Each room has about 48 lights that are capable of growing about 800 plants. The annual output of the facility is going to be about 4,000 kilograms,” said general manager Daniel Motkya.
Battley and Motkya proudly ushered members of the media down long white hallways, and showed off a variety of rooms where different stages of the marijuana growing process take place.
“This looks like a pharmaceutical manufacturing facility because essentially that’s what it is. We grow medicine,” Battley said.
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The facility takes security very seriously.
“We go beyond Health Canada requirements to have 24-hour on-site security,” Battley told Global News from inside a high-security level 9 vault.
The company will keep marijuana plants and other products in the vault once the facility is fully operational.
“It will all be kept secure in this vault. Upwards of $30-million worth of product,” Battley said.
Right now Aurora is only in the medical marijuana business. They say they have 20,000 medical customers in Canada. Once recreational use is legal next year, they say the same cannabis will be sold at Quebec government stores.
“We’ve established our production to medical standards. That is the same standard to which were going to produce our cannabis for the consumer market,” said Battley.
READ MORE: West Islander wants Quebec pot shops banned from Beaconsfield
The new Aurora Vie facility is right next to a residential area. People living down the street have mixed feelings about their new neighbour.
“I really don’t mind,” said Joanne Dinardo. “I think it’s fine. I think it’s ok for the neighbourhood and won’t cause any harm or problems.
“I don’t like the idea of it, but right now I haven’t really seen any consequences,” said Andree-Anne Guay.
Aurora is hiring right now for the Pointe-Claire facility. It will be run by 40-50 people when fully operational. The company will be opening an even bigger facility in Lachute.