Sparking up business in Aylmer

Thursday, May 1, 2014

The old Imperial Tobacco factory in Aylmer, Ont., closed since 2007, is set to reopen and manufacture a new kind of tobacky: the wacky kind.

At press time, the Aylmer Express reported that WeedMD Rx Inc. had taken possession of the property, and the London Free Press said WeedMD had been pre-approved to sell medical marijuana under the new Health Canada regulations that came into force April 1. WeedMD chief executive officer Bruce Scully said start-up costs for the venture were $3 million and he hopes to employ 100 people (preferably local) over the next two years.

The Imperial Tobacco plant has a long history in Aylmer. Elgin County's website says the plant opened in 1946. At the height of production, it pumped out 100 million tons of tobacco over six months, employed almost 600 people and was one of Canada's leading exporters. After 50 years of production, the plant was closed when operations moved to Mexico.

Local government is welcoming the venture with open arms. Dave Mennill, mayor of Malahide township, calls it a "win-win situation" and "good news for local employment and tax revenue."

In Colorado, where recreational marijuana sales have been legal since Jan. 1, tax gains are far exceeding expectations. The Associated Press reports a projected revenue of $98 million next fiscal year. Of course, Canadian marijuana would be medicinal, not recreational (unless Justin Trudeau has his way). Nevertheless, the market is still projected to grow to more than $1.3 billion by 2024. BF