CREMONA METHAMPHETAMINE LAB BUSTED

Cremona Mayor Ken Foreman says a massive methamphetamine lab bust just
outside the 420-resident village last week doesn't really surprise him.

"The reality is we live within 60 minutes of Calgary, and Calgary's
influence is going to reach out," said Foreman. "If you're in an illegal
business, you've got a big potential market there to sell your product. We
shouldn't be surprised that someone would pick a quiet little place like
Cremona.

"Nobody wants to see organized crime in their community, but it doesn't
matter where you live, particularly if you are an ideal little spot like this."

Two Calgary men, [Name redacted], 32, and [Name redacted], 29, have been
charged with unlawfully producing a controlled substance, and unlawfully
possessing a substance for the purpose of trafficking.

They have both been ordered detained pending a court appearance Feb. 23.

About 10 kilograms of Methamphetamine was seized from what is believed to
be a clandestine lab at the site, say police. Methamphetamine is a
highly-addictive drug.

Police from Didsbury, Edmonton, Calgary and elsewhere spent most of the day
Wednesday, at the Cremona scene. Hazardous materials units, including
technicians in protective gear, were also called in to examine the lab,
believed to be one of the largest ever busted in Alberta. The lab was
located in a large barn on a farm property on the Carstairs Blind Line Road
just east of Hwy 22.

The lab was busted after a real estate broker spotted something suspicious
during a visit.

"I visited the property because I have it listed," said Randall Oberik,
broker with Water Valley's Cowboy Trail Realty. "Being a licenced real
estate agent, through the Alberta Real Estate Association, we get training
on things to look for as far as grow rooms. So this looked liked a grow
room to me.

"I probably wasn't in there for more than 20 seconds. There was a mezzanine
level on this building and it had been all sealed up and plywooded in. What
really aroused my suspicions was the fact there was a large industrial fan
going on.

"It was kind of a fluke, freaky thing that I stumbled across it and
reported it as we all should. It turned out to be a big operation in there
apparently."

Mountain View County Reeve Al Kemmere said the bust is a blow to the
county's image as a safe community.

"We always think that our kids are protected living in the country, but
this hits pretty close to home," said Kemmere. "This is very disappointing
to have that related to the county, no doubt about it.

"I'm totally baffled by it. I'm amazing this is going on in the county. You
hear about it in other areas but you never consider it to happen in your
own county."

Mountain View County councillor Charles Van Arnam, whose riding includes
the site, said: "It is a huge surprise and a disappointment. It's a long
way from the RCMP detachment (at Didsbury), so obviously people see that as
an opportunity to take advantage of the situation."

Philip Reid, whose family has farmed the area around Cremona for more than
100 years, said he isn't concerned about the lab being in the area "as long
as people I know aren't killing themselves on crystal meth."

"I guess it worries me that it can be kept so quiet. I drive down this road
four times a day and never noticed anything. I never saw any traffic in or
out of here, nothing made me suspicious," said Reid.

Harold Bellamy, who owns an acreage near the lab site, said he was very
surprised to see police at the property that morning.

"I never thought anything like this would go on here," said Bellamy.

Cremona Mayor Foreman is encouraging residents in and around the village to
be proactive in fighting the drug trade.

"They need to be prepared to take down licence plate numbers, identifying
people, and report it. If the attitude is I don't want to be put out, then
people are going to have this thing next door to them."

Police are asking anyone in the area of the lab who may have noticed
strange discolouration of snow or soil, or dead wildlife that is out of the
ordinary to contact them at 335-3381.