Frank Landry
Staff Reporter Winnipeg Sun
Flin Flon is buzzing over a T-shirt that proclaims
the community is Canada's marijuana growing capital.
Chris Pilz has
sold 200 of the tees since he began stocking them in his novelty store last
week - his entire stock. He has another 200 on order, and expects that won't be
enough to meet demand.
"It's been quite overwhelming," said Pilz
yesterday. He designed the tee with the help of a friend. They are available
only at Flin Flon's Zig Zag Zone, which Pilz, 39 runs with his wife.
"I'm taking names and numbers and it's filling up fast. I must have
taken two dozen names today," Pilz to The Sun.
The shirts (left)
feature a drawing of a miner pushing a cart brimming with ganja. In the
background is a joint-like smelter stack. In the smoke it says: high ho, high
ho, it's off to work we grow.
Ottawa is paying Prairie Plant System
$5.8 million to harvest premium pot for up to 5 years in Flin Flon. The weed -
to be used for medical purposes - will be grown in underground mine
shafts.
Most Flin Flon residents are getting a kick out of the humorous
tees, said Mayor Dennis Ballard. Asked if the community is in fact, the
country's sweet leaf capital, Ballard said that's what he hears.
"I
suppose it may very well be," the mayor said with a chuckle. "It sounds good to
me."
The Health Canada project will create at least 10 jobs in Flin
Flon, and there are endless possibilities for expansion, Ballard said. But Ron
Dobson, a Flin Flon resident said the shirts may be giving kids the wrong
message - that it's okay to spark up a spiff.
"Health Canada should
educate teens on the dangers of weed, and explain its medicinal uses," he
said.
"They Health Canada dumped this into our community and put added
pressure on our young people," Dobson said.
Pilz said he isn't promoting
illegal drugs, but tourism.
Mr. Dobson's Letter to
the Flin Flon Reminder.