Tweed Farms closes

Lord Mayor Betty Disero learned Friday evening that the Tweed Farms medical marijuana operation in Niagara-on-the-Lake was closing to cut costs.

Sean Webster of parent company Canopy Growth called to tell her of the closure, and said 30 staff members were being laid off. The rest will be given jobs in the Smiths Falls or Kincardine operations, he said.

One of the first to open in Canada, the medicinal marijuana facility on Concession 5, at one million square feet, was once considered the largest in the world.

The greenhouses will be put up for sale, Disero was told.

The closure has been attributed to Canopy shares at what was described as a multi-year low.

In an email to The Local, a spokesperson for Canopy Growth said this: The decision to cease operations at the Niagara-on-the-Lake facility was made after careful consideration based on the company’s updated cultivation strategy. Recognizing the valuable skills of our team members on site, we are pleased to be offering roles for the majority to transfer their employment to an alternate Canopy facility. We would also like to thank the Niagara community for its continued support over the years.”