Brian Paquette calls them the Tweedians.

They're the millennials who work at the largest private sector employer in Smiths Falls, the cannabis company called Tweed.

Paquette, a local businessman and café owner, greets these young professionals every day when they come in to spend money on craft beer and artisan sandwiches.

“There is a look to the Tweed employees. I can pick them out when they walk in the door,” Paquette said. "Hipster’s not the correct term. There’s a hip style, with a little bit of edge.”

Tweed set up its corporate headquarters in the old Hershey chocolate factory in Smiths Falls in 2013.

'Tweed coming to town was definitely a really good saving grace for a lot of people.'



-Brian Paquette, Café Whim

Through a series of deals and acquisitions, Tweed’s corporate parent, Canopy Growth Corporation, now operates in eight provinces as well as Brazil, Denmark, Germany, Jamaica, Australia, Chile and soon Spain.

But Smiths Falls is still home, and here, the Tweedians rule.

“Younger people are getting employed in very high-end positions at Tweed. People in their really early 20s are in management roles and they come in here and they’re very well spoken, well behaved, and well mannered," Paquette said.

When Tweed first sprouted up here, the company promised to create 100 jobs.

But thanks to rapid expansion and the looming legalization of marijuana in Canada, the company now employs close to 400 people in Smiths Falls, a town that just a decade ago had a soaring unemployment rate thanks to the departure of several companies, including Hershey.

'Team morale is a big thing in here... You don’t even realize how fast time is going in here. It’s kind of nice.'



-Kaleigh Kirkland, processing assistant

For Paquette, who opened Café Whim on Russell Street W. last spring, the ripple effect was nearly overwhelming.

“We were kind of drinking from the fire hose when we opened here in May,” Paquette said. “It started with a bang and with lineups at lunchtime. A huge part of our clientele were from Tweed.”

Business was so brisk Paquette quickly decided to expand, literally to Tweed’s doorstep.

When he discovered the marijuana producer had no cafeteria at its Hershey Drive headquarters, Paquette bought an old BeaverTails shack and parked it there, with the company's blessing.

The hungry Tweed employees ate it up. Paquette's "Mega Wake n' Bacon" is a particular favourite among the early-rising workers.

'It’s going to surpass Hershey's in the end. It’s definitely a huge boost for the economy.'



-Ian Johnston, Tweed employee since July 2014

As Tweed blooms beyond the walls of the 500,000-square-foot former chocolate factory and expands onto neighbouring properties, the company is providing work for as many as 100 construction workers.

But because it’s essentially a pharmaceutical firm, Tweed also employs highly skilled workers. The company's job board is currently full of opportunities for scientists, tech specialists, engineers and lab technicians based in Smiths Falls.

Those professionals will come to Smiths Falls for more than the competitive salary and stock options, according to Tweed's co-founder and CEO, Bruce Linton; they'll also buy homes, attend local theatrical productions and get involved in summer festivals.

“All of a sudden we’ve become a builder of the community, and we do it because it makes it easier to recruit people to the community,” Linton said.

“I think what you’re finding is that a lot of people are fixing up their homes, a lot of people who wanted to sell have buyers, and all of a sudden there’s a lively vibe here.”

There's a lot of talk in town about that new vibe, and many residents, from real estate agents and developers to high school students, seem to exude a new optimism.