Village envisions positive potential for pot production plant

More than 170 people are getting excited for a potential marijuana business to set up shop in the village of Lintlaw, according to the newly elected mayor.

Mayor Debbie Mihalicz said the owner of the village’s vacant school was approached by a marijuana production company to potentially use the school to grow plants. The school has been vacant since 2006.

“At this point really it’s just an inquiry,” she said. “Because we are a small community, we wanted to make sure — it’s a controversial subject of course — we want to make sure it’s OK with people who live here.”

Mihalicz said she thought it was very respectful for the property owner to think about those in the community by asking them in advance.

On Monday, a community meeting was held and she said you could “feel the excitement in the air.” A lot of praise was given to a new business thinking about the small village and only a few concerns were raised by locals.

“There were a few questions about, ‘would there be a smell?’ so we’re investigating that and what we’ve found so far there wouldn’t be an odour,” Mihalicz said. “The (other) concern would be water usage, ‘Is our supply going to be enough to handle something like that if it were to come?’ but if it were to come and economically our village benefited then maybe we could afford to get a bigger water supply.”

Looking ahead, she said this would be huge for the village as she sees potential in job growth.

“There would be jobs — possibly not all local — because they might not (be) qualified of course,” she said. “But it would maybe give some of our young people who go away to work — like on rigs or the mines — it might give them an opportunity to get a job here.”

Mihalicz added money that would potentially flow to local businesses like the local bank, snowmobile dealership, restaurant and more would help the village’s economy.