LINDSAY - A Markham-based doctor looking to open a marijuana production facility in Lindsay's former Fleetwood trailer factory has received federal approval to begin operation.

Ghulam Khan said he initially purchased a property at 77 St. David St. in Lindsay in 2016 and then set his sights on the former Fleetwood property.

He was encouraged by discussions with municipal officials and began the application process through Health Canada. That approval came through two weeks ago.

He's currently looking for investors but says that once he has the funding in place, and municipal approvals, he could see construction begin inside the Highway 36 factory right away.

He anticipates growing on site eight to 12 months later, estimating he would need about 500 employees at full production.

"We are in the last days of submitting final drawings to city," he said.

If approvals go smoothly, construction would follow in about four to six weeks. Ultimately, he foresees adding a half million square-foot greenhouse on the property.

"Growth would depend on the investment we get. We will build according to that."

City of Kawartha Lakes Mayor Andy Letham says the facility, and the jobs, would be welcome in the community.

"I don't think this is a fly-by-night industry," Letham said.

There are a lot of restrictions and regulations that applicants have to meet in order to receive approval from Health Canada, he said.

Letham met with Khan several months ago and toured the Fleetwood facility with him, listening to his plans. The federal approval was the only thing holding Khan from moving forward, Letham said.

"The jobs would be a bonus," Letham said. "He's talking a hundred or so to start. It's the perfect building for what he's looking for. It's empty inside."

Once one of the top employers in the City of Kawartha Lakes, Fleetwood shuttered the former travel-trailer facility in 2007 putting more than 300 people out of work. Talk of a marijuana growing facility moving into the plant have been rampant since the federal government announced it would be legalizing cannabis more than a year ago.

Khan says initial discussions with Kawartha Lakes officials were encouraging enough to convince him to focus here over the Scarborough area, where he had also considered for his facility. At full operation, Khan says the area will benefit from the jobs here, but there should be earlier benefits from construction hiring along the way.

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"There will need to be a lot of construction inside. The building is 78,000 square feet and I'm planning a half million square foot greenhouse outside. We will need a lot of people," Khan said.

"There is a huge demand for it. There is a shortage of marijuana and I want to produce it as fast as we can. Once the property is ready, it's just growing a plant. There is no rocket science there."