RE:Owen sound trying to expand its population MPX Bioceutical Corp., formerly known as the Canadian Bioceutical Corp., announced in the fall that it is planning to spend $5 to $6 million in 2018 to build out a marijuana cultivation and production facility in the remaining section of the former PPG plant.
The decision to ramp up construction of the facility came after the company was advised by Health Canada in late August that its application for licenced producer status under the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulation had advanced to the detailed review and initiation of security clearance process stage.
Also in 2018, Boddy said the city will be engaging in negotiations with Transport Canada to determine if it's in the city's best interests to take over ownership of the federally owned Owen Sound harbour.
The terms of any divestiture agreement must “make sense” to Owen Sound, he cautioned.
The city will also be working to get the Tom Thomson Art Gallery's finances “back in shape,” Boddy said.
Council learned last month that the gallery's year-end deficit for 2017 will be about $500,000.
It approved a plan in November that includes having city staff prepare the gallery's budget for 2018, operating the gallery as a city department in 2018 and recouping the 2017 deficit from city funding of the art gallery over the next 10 years.