Conversion of the Houweling Nurseries greenhouse in East Ladner to become one of the biggest cannabis producers in Canada is well underway.
Agraflora Organics International Inc. last year announced its partnership with Houweling Nurseries to convert 2.2 million square feet to pot. The 20-hectare (49-acre) facility on 64th Street will be the second largest cannabis greenhouse in Canada.
The company said the Delta facility is second in size only to an Ontario facility owned by Canopy Growth Corp., the world’s largest cannabis company. Canopy also has a large-scale operation at a greenhouse on Hornby Drive in East Delta.
As far as the Houweling conversion, a news release last week stated the retrofit has been split into three phases. The first phase includes 350,000 square feet, including post-production facilities, with completion scheduled for the first quarter of 2019. The second phase includes an additional 1.45 million square feet to be completed later this year as well as the final phase, consisting of 400,000 square feet.
“Initial activities of the retrofit include site preparation for propagation operations including 250,000 square feet of flowering area, development of standard operation procedures and completion of security audit and development of overall plan, plus ordering of long lead time items and planning with plant genetic experts in preparation for the first crop,” states Organic Flower Investments Group Inc., whose subsidiary Delta Organic Cannabis has a stake in Agraflora Organics International Inc.
Houweling has also started a propagation business supplying nurseries with cannabis and hemp plants.
