A former church in Val Rita will soon be home to a cannabis medical growing facility. After receiving a couple of proposals, the town of Val Rita-Harty decided to sell the former church to area resident Mike Arkilander so he can open the business. Economic Development Officer Alain Robichaud says some residents might have concerns about the type of business going into that church.
“First of all it’s no longer a church but a vacant building,” said Robichaud. “The municipality was faced with the cost of maintaining both of those buildings so this is welcome news to the community.”
The project could start as early as next year, growing up to 600 kilograms of medical cannabis a year and employing up to five people. The sale is expected to be completed in the next couple of weeks, and the new owner still need to remodel the building to Health Canada standards before he can get a license.
