Local Organic News for SPRWF/SL trading temporaril
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http://www.shorelinebeacon.com/2014/07/29/kin...r-work-bee
A ‘work bee’ with over two dozen volunteers gutted a portion of the Bruce Energy Centre Greenhouses on July 27, to help clear the way for construction of a facility with the largest existing medical marijuana license in Canada to date.
Advanced Medical Marihuana Canada (AMMCan), a subsidiary company of Supreme Pharmaceuticals, is awaiting Municipality of Kincardine building department approval of the 14 sets of systems blueprints it has submitted, outlining the facility’s different systems.
The plan will see the refurbishment of the existing 340,000-square-foot facility, replace old and outdated systems, as well as add extensive security features required by the federal government.
“We are a greenhouse, with of course added security features, so we’re hoping it will be looked upon that way so we can move forward,” said AMMCan president and chief executive officer Peter Herburger. “We’re very excited about the job, so once we get the building permit, we’ll better know the timeframe and when we can start.”
Local supporter Keith Cleveland helped arrange a lineup of volunteers to clear out tons of scrap and debris from the facility, and said the benefits of employment from the facility will help retain younger people and offer new, decent-paying job opportunities.
“We all thought this would be a great way to show some community support,” said Cleveland. “People in the city find it hard to believe that small town Ontario would be in favour of such a facility. We need to prove them wrong.”
Volunteers worked half a day to remove the old drainage and shading systems, tear down old grow lights, weeds and brush that had grown and prepare the floor for concrete to be poured during the construction phase, where “new and better systems” will be installed. Although only a portion of the greenhouse was cleaned out, it gave the company a head start to better meet construction deadlines after building permit approvals are received.
The shipping and receiving area will also be converted to feature various levels of security and offices, as part of the construction phase.
Herburger said so far they’ve hired two full-time staff and added that once construction begins, they’ll issue notice for openings of a wide variety of the approximate 100 jobs that will be available, from chemists, to gardeners, accountants, production positions and more.
“There will be jobs of all different kinds, from entry-level to professional positions, but we have to be ready,” he said.
AMMCan is still working on securing a source of heating and have yet to decide on whether they will provide a source of steam themselves, or look at a hot water heating option.
AMMCan vice president Sarah Herburger said the existing steam delivery system is being reviewed for its usability, as it is rusted and clogged from years sitting derelict.
“We’ll be using an environmentally-safe solvent to shoot through (the pipes) to see if they’re even still usable,” she said.
Pending approval of the building permit, AMMCan hopes to begin work as soon as possible with hopes to wrap up by September or October.
“We hope to be ready before the snow falls,” he said.
Aaron Ruimy, AMMCan’s IT director, said they’ve been amazed at how they’ve received about 20 resumes a week through their website, since the announcement.
“It’s encouraging to see how excited the community is about this, and today we’re seeing people walk the walk, which is great,” said Ruimy.
AMMCan is currently building the data security system from the ground up to “meet and exceed” Health Canada’s regulations, as patient privacy is a major focus for the company.
“They are medical files, so they should be as absolutely secure as possible,” he said.
The company has been warmly received since it was revealed and Herburger said the support is what they need to be able to build and grow.
“We want nothing else but to be a big family here,” Herburger said. “We’ve been very impressed by the people of Kincardine.”
Once the multi-phase facility is fully operational, it will produce upwards of 150-lbs. of medical-grade marijuana daily for the Canadian government.
For more information visit www.ammcan.com