Mayor Martin Fromme stands beside the Village of Midway’s heritage hotel, looking toward a narrow bridge over the fast-flowing Kettle River, and the dirt road and under-construction cannabis farm up the way.
The 250-acre farm with water rights was purchased last fall for $1.6 million. By spring, five kilometres of three-metre-high ring-lock fence were installed around a 100-acre upper lot — with three strands of barbed wire atop and a security camera every 30 metres. After some heavy July rain and two days of beating sun, you can smell the wild grasses and flowers in this semi-arid zone in West Boundary country between Osoyoos and Grand Forks.
Within and around the southeast corner of the security fencing are nine trailers, including one marked security, two that are air-conditioned and could serve as accommodation, and one temporary toilet. There are three excavators sitting in the field and a long irrigation trench has been dug — but there’s not a soul in sight.
Read more at vancouversun.com