ARMY POT PLANT BUST

NICOLET, Que. -- The Canadian Forces said yesterday they have seized nearly
1,000 cannabis plants at a Forces munitions centre northeast of Montreal.

The plants were found earlier this week after provincial police advised the
Forces marijuana may have been growing on their territory.

The plants, which the Forces said had an estimated value of $1 million,
were gathered throughout the week and transferred to the RCMP.

"We're talking about 20 to 50 plants per section (of growth)," Forces
spokesman Capt. Steve Lebel said yesterday. "The sections were distributed
throughout our territory."

About 60 people work at the site, but it was not immediately known whether
Forces staff were involved in growing the marijuana.

The munitions centre extends for 18 km along the banks of Lac St-Pierre.

Raymond Gagnon, who manages the centre, said growers could have travelled
to the site from the water.

"It's easy to access the area from Lac St-Pierre -- especially after normal
business hours or at night," Gagnon said.