IT'S ALL UP IN THE AIR IN NELSON

He's an old man like your old man, a shuffling grandfather who loves
to tinker in his workshop.

But he's not building birdhouses in there: Like the hundreds of
guerrilla gardeners of the Kootenays, he's growing high-grade pot.

"Got into it a couple of years ago,"the 82-year-old tells me. "I cover
my expenses."

He agreed to speak to me and allowed Province photographer Ric Ernst
to visit his hydroponic operation under a strict agreement: That we
don't identify him.

Day 8 of the Fabulous Federal Election Tour brought me to the
ultra-hip city of Nelson, where there's still gold in them thar hills.

Our green-thumbed octogenarian showed off 60 robust plants and assured
us that he and his fellow growers are pumping millions of dollars into
the local economy.

He's voting for Marijuana Party candidate Reverend Damuzi, who runs
his campaign out of the Holy Smoke headshop.

In town, there's a nudge-nudge, wink-wink acknowledgement of marijuana
moolah.

"We're a community of 10,000 with 42 fantastic restaurants -- talk
about munchy city," said Raven Gregoire, owner of a computer graphics
company.

"Of course, it's huge."

But it's not the only game in town. Not by a longshot.

The city is one of the prettiest, friendliest places in the
province.

New industries like Insight Electronics are doing great business
developing high-tech auto parts. The Whitewater Ski Resort boasts some
of the best powder conditions in the world.

It all attracts an incredibly eclectic cast of characters: From
artists to loggers; psychics to snowboarders.

Politically, they're all over the map.

With his greying Grateful Dead haircut and a lovely wife named
Windsong, you'd be tempted to peg Gregoire as a Green party supporter.

Try Canadian Alliance.

"They've got some good concepts. There's great entrepreneurial spirit
here. Tax breaks would set business free."

James Douglas, jazz DJ at the local co-op radio station, can't bring
himself to vote for "the good old boys from Alberta." But he also
thinks Prime Minister Jean Chretien has done a terrible job and needs
a stiff kick in the pants.

"He's a mean-spirited man with no vision. I'm praying for a Liberal
minority government. Maybe that would wake him up."

At the Oso Negro coffee bar, there's strong support for the Green
party and keen awareness of environmental issues.

But there's also cynicism that any real change will ever
come.

Tarot card reader Sylvie arrives to set up shop in the corner. She
offers to foretell the election outcome for $5. I'm in.

"This is the future," she intoned, turning over the Luxury card and
immediately interpreting it as Stockwell Day's massive tax breaks. The
next card: Swords.

"There will be cuts, cuts, cuts to government programs. There will be
anger. There may be riots."

Be afraid, Liberals: I'm told she's rarely wrong.