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By Chris Brown/Tiffany Goodwein

One of the largest of its kind

Aurora Sun for sale

Mar 5, 2021 | 3:31 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – CHAT News has learned Aurora Sun in Medicine Hat is for sale.

The facility is listed by Colliers, a real estate and investment management company.

It’s described as a 1.7-million-square-foot solar fields complex. The listing, which features a two-minute video and 11-page brochure, calls the building one of the largest complexes of its kind in the world.

The location in relation to major Canadian and U.S. markets, its extraordinary power access and potential uses are highlighted in the brochure.

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The brochure also has a section titled Potential For Significant Environmental & Social Impact, under which it reads:

• Ability To Drive Meaningful Economic Diversification
• City of ~60,000 Heavily Reliant On Project

Things have not turned out as anticipated when the facility was announced in April 2018.

In November 2019, the company announced it was deferring construction of the Aurora Sun amid a decline in consumer cannabis revenue.

In November 2020, Aurora Cannabis announced it was pausing operations indefinitely at the facility. At the time, Mayor Ted Clugston told CHAT News “temporarily” was stressed in the conversation.

Speaking to CHAT News this afternoon, Mayor Ted Clugston said he was made aware that the facility is up for sale, and he wasn’t overly surprised.

“I was actually surprised that they haven’t to tell you the truth earlier and I’ve had lots of people phone me and say ‘oh you should tell Aurora to turn it into a cucumber,’ and I don’t tell Aurora what to do,” Clugston said.

As for the city’s involvement going forward, Clugston said the city is taking a hands-off approach.

” I mean it is privately owned, and if they find a buyer for it, great. The only thing is, is that we do like the fact that it is presently designated as a cannabis or THC facility because it is taxable. With somebody to buy it with perhaps growing something else, it may no longer be taxable because it would be agriculture,” Mayor Clugston said.

The Aurora Sun facility contributes about $1.6 to $1.7 million in tax revenue every year. But Clugston said tax rate reductions do occur for buildings that are vacant.