The early stages of construction on a new cannabis production facility in Clearwater County are underway following a recent appeal process in which the original development application was upheld with amended conditions.
“We already have shovels in the ground,” said Jeff Brookman, CEO of Element GP Inc., last Wednesday, Nov. 28 , adding the project is on schedule.
The site — located about 1.3 kilometres north of Highway 587 on the west side of the road — has been cleared and the earthworks completed. The tendering process for the foundation is proceeding and should be laid later this month, while the tender for a prefabricated steel structure is also ongoing, he said.
“That will be going up in mid-February,” he said about the building’s shell.
The company has been working with Alberta Transportation for an expanded T-intersection on Highway 22 that would include construction of a dedicated turning lane for southbound traffic as well as a bypass lane for northbound traffic, he added.
The goal, he said, is “to make the intersection safer for our employees and everyone else who uses the road.”
The CEO welcomed the development permit appeal, and praised the system in Alberta that allows people to put forward their concerns at various stages. However, Brookman seemed vindicated by the Clearwater County Subdivision and Development Appeal Board’s decision to uphold — with amended conditions — the municipal planning commission’s original approval.
“At the end of the day, the process, I believe, demonstrates that if you come in with proper professional studies for the application, then the approval will stand,” he said, adding the decision was fact-based.
“In all instances, the evidence clearly showed the MPC made the right decision.”
But the company does take concerns seriously , he said, and has since become a member of the Sundre Petroleum Operators Group. Additionally, the investment represents economic growth and opportunities for employment, he said.
“The county really needs jobs.”
The owner of the land who sold the parcel for the project, Pierce Achtymichuk, whose career includes 14 years with Parks Canada and Environment Canada, said the appeal process seems to have swayed some attitudes but that a core group remains opposed.
“Enthusiasm throughout the county is there,” he said. “The younger generation understands this is going to happen. So why not in our jurisdiction?”
Part of the controversy originally stemmed from the proposed location on poorly rated marshy and boggy agricultural land, but there are other facilities such as the one near Cremona that are situated in farm country, he said.
Element’s production facility will have a relatively small footprint, occupying about two acres of a 40-acre lot, he said, adding the operation will not be land intensive nor result in a constant stream of heavy truck traffic.
“The building that’s going on this property will probably be almost identical in size to the Candre plant in Sundre.”
Fully supportive of the project and the science backing the development, Achtymichuk said he has no desire to leave Clearwater County and expressed confidence the concerns raised by the appellants will not translate into reality. Water concerns are serious and should not be taken lightly, but under the Alberta Water Act, he said there was no way the government would have green-lit the project if it posed a threat to the aquifer.
“Environmental concerns are paramount to me,” he said, adding he only agreed to the project under strict terms and that intensive recycling and reuse of water minimizes the amount actually required.
“We should be proud of this stuff happening out here.”
Additionally, in the absence of a burgeoning oil and gas sector, which despite modest recoveries is not about to return to anywhere near pre-crash levels soon, Clearwater County has to consider other economic opportunities to diversify the jurisdiction’s business base, he said.
County officials have an arduous responsibility of conjuring up ways to keep jobs in the area, he said, adding this project will contribute to gainful employment opportunities, which in turn will herald subsequent economic spinoffs.
The appeal process was a good exercise for everyone involved, he said, adding discussions with some neighbours who were initially opposed persuaded them to reconsider.
“(But) in no case is everybody going to be happy,” he added.
The appeal hearing took place on Oct. 16, and the subdivision appeal board announced its decision on Oct. 30 following a period of deliberation. The 29-page document is available to the public by visiting www.clearwatercounty.ca/p/sdab-hearings---decisions. According to information outlined in that document, Element will employ about 200 workers on site, broken into three, eight-hour shifts with 68 employees per shift.
John Vandermeer, Clearwater County’s reeve, said recently during a brief phone interview following the appeal board’s decision, that the development will not only generate jobs but by extension also enhance the county’s economic viability as a community.
“We are a council for economic development.”
