At a Special Meeting of Madawaska Valley Council on October 1, members of Council (with the exception of Councillor Ernie Peplinski who was absent) reviewed and unanimously passed a By-Law approving a Site Plan for an expansion of St. Francis Herb Farm (SFHF) in Barry’s Bay. Council’s approval means that SFHF is one step closer to achieving its ambition to become Canada’s leading herbal brand.
Previously, at an open meeting of Renfrew County’s Development and Property Committee in Pembroke on March 10, 2020, SFHF owner Paul Rivett-Carnac and Engineering Manager Paul Enns explained the project to County in a presentation which The Current attended. (Above: Enns at left and Rivett-Carnac at County Hall) On June 9, 2020, SFHF repeated the presentation with slight modifications to MV Council during an in camera session. Following both meetings, The Current, as requested by Rivett-Carnac, agreed not to report the presentations until a Site Plan had been approved.
At the County meeting in March, Rivett-Carnac reminded committee members that SFHF had been in Renfrew County for 31 years, 21 of those years in Combermere, and in that period SFHF had proven its reputation for a high-quality, legacy product. He explained that SFHF had outgrown its existing premises situated at various locations in Combermere. He also advised the committee that the new 37,000 square foot facility would not just bring administration, manufacturing and warehousing under one roof; it would also include first-in-Canada capabilities due to new technologies, equipment and processes. The facility would include a new ERP technology platform. Editor’s Note: Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is defined as software that manages and integrates the entire organization such as customer relationships, sales, engineering, production, procurement, inventory and finance.
To the items discussed at Thursday’s MV meeting, The Current can add that the presentation to County in March included retraining existing SFHF staff to upgrade their skills, the eventual addition of ten new jobs in the area, and the considerable cachet of having an industry leader located in the municipality.
Above: Rivett-Carnac (left, in silhouette) at County Development & Property Committee
Rivett-Carnac discussed the increased efficiencies for SFHF and said, “The new facility will not only allow us to have more space but also allow us to develop more manufacturing capabilities.” Referring to SFHF’s ultimate goal, he said, “We believe we could be in a position to become Canada’s leading herbal brand. With our unique story, the business history, the fact that we’re building this facility on a plot of land right beside our farm, [it] is very exciting. We want to … pick on growth awareness and education about herbs in general…. [and to] be the leader in extraction processing.”
During the discussion, Councillor Mark Willmer said, “I think it’s great that we’re doing this. It’s such a good addition to the township.” He asked staff about the implications of the project for residents on Lane Street in Barry’s Bay. After speaking to some residents, he said they wanted to understand the projected effect on traffic in the area, as well as how the finished facility would look from the street. On that point, staff told Willmer that they had not yet seen a final landscape plan but that SFHF plans to include a buffer zone between the facility and nearby residences.
The Traffic Study included in the Site Plan package anticipates that once construction is complete, the majority of increased traffic would come from employees’ personal vehicles and small delivery vans. It also anticipates one transport trailer per day during off-peak periods. Staff pointed out this actually means fewer large trucks than would have travelled Lane Street when a planing mill was in operation there.
Willmer’s final question on behalf of Lane Street residents related to the construction schedule and CAO Suzanne Klatt said that Enns had already applied for the building permit in the hope of getting the foundation in before frost sets in this year. SFHF said it will be communicating the start date as soon as it can be confirmed.
Councillor Carl Bromwich thanked MV staff for their diligence and speed in reviewing and processing the documents in the SFHF application, saying, “It’s such a great initiative for our township.”
Editor’s Note: 6/10/2020 At the request of St. Francis Herb Farm, this article has been amended with respect to the construction start date.
