DOPE 'FACTORY' ENORMOUS

Disused Brewery Used By Growers

BARRIE, Ont. -- A marijuana growing operation at the former Molson brewery
in the city -- thought to be the largest ever discovered in the province --
is twice as big as police originally thought. And a second huge marijuana
grow house was discovered just north of the city yesterday when police
raided a commercial building in Oro Medonte.

'Thousands And Thousands'

"To give you some perspective, think about this," Ontario Provincial Police
Supt. Bill Crate explained yesterday. "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.

The building is just metres from six-lane Highway 400, the main route to
cottage and ski country from Toronto.

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

The raids were carried out as part of a probe into illegal grow-house
operations.

Crate, who declined to say how police learned of this particular operation,
toured the site yesterday, 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."

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

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."