Prairie Craft Canopy’s cannabis micro-cultivation facility in the RM of Edenwold is now in operation and providing product to Delta 9 Cannabis.
The $2 million local facility took two years to build and received a Health Canada license on Dec. 4, according to a December news release from Delta 9 — the final regulatory step in allowing Prairie Craft to go into operation. Locally, the proposal received conditional approval from the RM of Edenwold’s council in July 2019.
The 8,000-square-foot facility is situated on 10 acres of land in the south end of the RM, immediately west of the hamlet of Richardson, with Prairie Craft Canopy co-owner Doug Trevena adding by news release that the “state-of-the-art” operation “incorporates all the latest technology for growing cannabis” and also “provides room to double the size of our operations in the future.”
The 12 “Grow Pod” growing areas — a proprietary system developed by Delta 9, according to the news release — are contained in shipping container-like rooms, all environmentally sealed to prevent outside contaminants coming in, with carbon filters and UV lights constantly cleaning the air. When operating, only individuals wearing approved gowns and having walked through chemical footbaths will be allowed into the pods.
Trevena said securing a Health Canada license to operate a cannabis growing facility was not an easy task, as there are many regulations and requirements licensees have to follow. At present the Prairie Craft Canopy facility has 2,100 square feet of growing capacity, which allows them to grow “craft products”. Prairie Craft has also incorporated its own proprietary growing methods into use at the facility.
Specialized lighting, climate control, dehumidification and fertigation are components of the growing areas, as well as security cameras monitoring activity at all times. To ensure the doors of the growing areas aren’t opened without good reason, watering and fertilizing is done remotely, with technology helping to monitor growing conditions.
The Prairie Craft partnership with Winnipeg-based Delta 9 also includes technical support along with the development of operations protocols and sanitation requirements. While Delta 9 has provided technical assistance however, it said in its December announcement that it does not have an ownership stake in Prairie Craft Canopy.
“We are delighted that Prairie Craft Canopy has received a Health Canada license for 12 of our proprietary and turn-key “Grow Pod” systems and has plans for a second Health Canada license to expand operations that will include another 12 Grow Pods,” Delta 9 Founder and CEO John Arbuthnot said in the release. “Our turn-key platform for Grow Pods and services continues to prove one of our best options for cannabis industry entrepreneurs seeking licensing and support services.”
