Westleaf Cannabis will be building a pot cultivation facility on Thunderchild First Nation land near Battleford.
Thunderchild has partnered with the Calgary based cannabis company by investing $8 million, which makes them the largest stakeholder of Westleaf.
“One of the defining moments for our company was our decision to partner with Thunderchild First Nation, and we look forward to building a partnership that will allow us to put a spotlight on the Canadian production of cannabis, while instilling a sense of pride and ownership in the communities we serve,” said President and CEO of Westleaf Cannabis Scott Hurd in a statement.
The construction of the 115,000 square foot facility will be one of two planned for Westleaf. The company says the Battleford Facility will “provide significant job creation for the Thunderchild community and spur long-term economic development in Battleford, Saskatchewan.”
Thunderchild Chief Delbert Wapass who will sit on the company’s board of directors said the legalization of recreational cannabis will create a lot of economic opportunities for Canada and their community is no exception.
“Westleaf’s strong knowledge of the industry and its vision to develop high-quality cannabis products in the prairies in collaboration with our members will make our relationship a natural and rewarding fit.”
Employees of the facility will work with a team of experts from Westleaf to ensure proper education and training for operating cultivation, processing and extraction facilities.
“Since its inception, Westleaf has firmly believed in investing and supporting the communities it operates in and developing meaningful, authentic relationships that are reflective of Canadian values,” said Hurd.
Westleaf also has plans to open retail stores in Alberta, Saskatchewan and B.C.