MASSIVE EFFORT WENT INTO ALLEGED GROW-OP, COURT HEARS

Notebook Details Workers' Hours, Growing Schedule

REGINA -- From germinating seeds on cookie sheets to weeding,
watering and shovelling manure, there was plenty of work to go around
at what the prosecution contends was the largest marijuana grow-op in
Saskatchewan history.

A notebook labelled "payroll hours records" examined by jurors
Thursday at a Regina drug trial gives a glimpse of long days and
back-breaking work at the Fort Qu'Appelle-area site uncovered more
than two years ago.

The document indicates someone identified only as "Bob" worked as
many as 12 hours a day. Meanwhile, "Stan" spent more than 14 hours
over two days "shovelling cow shit," as the record reads. "John"
built a greenhouse; "Ian" was available "P T after school;" and "The
Briguy," who started Friday the 13th, had duties that included making
water lines, weeding and "spegghetti (sic)." Even "Elvis" put in time.

The top of one page in the notebook reads, "first 3,000 out July."
There's also notations indicating the "summer grow schedule" began
April 20; there was transplanting into pots on May 18; "in ground" on
June 15; and "finish" would occur between Aug. 15 and 20.

On Aug. 21, 2005, RCMP, including members of the Emergency Response
Team (ERT), launched a pre-dawn raid on the site, located near the
properties of Joseph and Robert Agecoutay on the Pasqua First Nation.

On trial for unlawful production of marijuana and possession of
marijuana for the purpose of trafficking are Lawrence Hubert
Agecoutay, 52, Chester Fernand Girard, 59, Nelson Edward Northwood,
58, Jack Allan Northwood, 55, Joseph Clayton Agecoutay, 47, and
Robert Stanley Agecoutay, 48. All but Nelson Northwood are also
facing a weapons possession charge, while Robert Agecoutay alone is
also charged with being in possession of a prohibited weapon -- a
sawed-off shotgun. Girard has an additional charge of forcible entry
of a house.

Regina police Const. Jeff Wagner, a member of the integrated drug
unit, said he counted 6,088 plants growing in plots or greenhouses on the site.

When samples of those plants were analyzed, they all returned the
same result -- cannabis marijuana.

During cross-examination of several witnesses, some of the six
defence lawyers have asked about industrial hemp.

Wagner also seized a laptop computer, found in the bushes by a police
dog tracking three men -- later identified as Girard, Luke Zigovits
and Brian McConnell -- who fled from a teepee located near six large
greenhouses.

Retired RCMP Cpl. Mike Boyce, who was with the technical crime unit,
said the portable computer, on which the owner was identified only as
"Luke," held thousands of photographs.

Among the images is a close-up of a lush, green plant that someone
has titled "looks Mexican." Another picture of plants is named "breeders."

In another photo named "Oooh baby," Girard is looking out the rear of
a vehicle filled with leafy, green plants.

Wagner also took possession of three shotguns and eight rifles.
According to analysis certificates, two of the shotguns -- found
inside Robert Agecoutay's house -- had shorter than regulation
barrels. Wagner demonstrated how an approximately metre-long metal
pipe was found on the end of a sawed-off shotgun.

Crown prosecutor Darrell Blais is expected to call his final two
witnesses today and Monday.