TWO HUGE POT OPERATIONS BUSTED

Local News - A marijuana growing operation at the former Molson
brewery in Barrie - the largest ever discovered in the province - is
actually twice as big as police originally suspected.

And a second huge marijuana grow house was discovered just north of
the city on Sunday when police raided a commercial building in Oro
Centre, at Highway 11 and the 7th Line of Oro Medonte.

"To give you some perspective, think about this," explained OPP
Superintendent Bill Crate. "An average grow house in a residential
area can produce about 500 plants.

"At the one in Oro Medonte, they found thousands and thousands of
plants, and that was small compared to the brewery," he said,
estimating the value of each plant at about $1,000.

Eleven people - including one found hiding in the former retail store
near the brewery on Sunday - have been arrested.

The raids were carried out as part of a probe into illegal grow-house
operations, which police say have increased dramatically in recent
years.

Crate declined to say how police learned of this particular
operation.

The media was to get a look at the Barrie operation through police
photos and video at a press conference this morning at Barrie police
headquarters.

Crate toured the brewery site for the first time on Sunday, and said
he was amazed by what he saw.

"There was everything from seedlings to mature plants to plants that
they were just readying for sale," he said. "It's really pretty
amazing. I think everyone was surprised by the size of it all. We
thought it was huge yesterday, and today it's twice as big."

Police described the operation as a "sophisticated, well-organized"
setup with an elaborate and monitored growing system.

"There are lots of offices, working spaces and nooks and crannies
everywhere," Crate said, noting plants were discovered growing in
several locations all over the building, including inside the beer
vats.

Police also discovered living accommodations inside the
plant.

"If you think of this as a factory with people running the operation
24 hours a day, it fits that there would be sleeping accommodations,"
Crate said.

The former brewery, which Molson closed in 2000, now houses about half
a dozen companies that have leased space from Rosten
Investments.

Rosten bought the property with plans to open a beverage bottling
company. Those plans have never been realized.

More than 100 officers from the Huronia Combined Forces Drug Unit
descended on the Barrie landmark at 1 Big Bay Point Road early
Saturday morning, arresting 10 people at the scene.

"We first have to ensure the safety of our officers," Crate said.
"There was all kinds of hydro being misused, and we have to look for
booby traps that are often set up in this kind of operation."

No traps were discovered and the police search and seizure
investigation began Sunday afternoon. The investigation is expected to
last a few days.