Government says the company is taking all the risks in the third cannabis production facility in Newfoundland/Labrador—not taxpayers.
St. John’s-based Atlantic Cultivation, through Toronto-based Auxly Group, will get millions of dollars in tax breaks similar to two other operations in the province to build a pot plant in St. John’s.
Construction on the facility, located in Kenmount Crossing near Kenmount Terrace, will begin soon.
Update: Today @AtlCultivation broke ground on their facility in St John's, Newfoundland 🎉 pic.twitter.com/YwMQNjFFGS
— Auxly Cannabis Group (@AuxlyGroup) September 5, 2019
Close to 120 full-time jobs at an average salary of nearly $56,000 will be created. Minister Chris Mitchelmore is confident the company will live up to those expectations.
He believes that this province has the best model when it comes to cannabis production facilities.
Chris Crosbie of the Auxly Cannabis Group says they will be exporting some of their product but will also open up to five retail outlets in the province.
He says the core business will be high-quality cannabis for consumers in this province.
Minister Mitchelmore went the unusual step of naming the owners of Atlantic Cultivation—Tom Collingwood Sr., Chris Hickman and Cynthia Crosbie—but says Atlantic Cultivation is the company with which they dealt directly.
Opposition politicians have tried feverishly to get the names of those associated with a numbered company contracted by Canopy Growth—but Mitchelmore says, under the law, government has no access to third-party companies in the Canopy deal.
Government says there is no numbered company associated with the agreement except the one in the contract set up by Canopy so Government can collect tax.
