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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2023 | Volume 36 No. 2
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COUNTRY BLAZE AND A CANNABIS CONTROVERSY JESSICA WALLACE STAFF REPORTER
jessica@kamloopsthisweek.com
T
he owner of Country Blaze Growers, a local cannabis farm, is pointing to Health Canada licensing delays for the reason his company owes an unknown, but significant amount of money to vendors. “We are working with legal counsel to sort out what to do with the operation,” Ryan Scorgie told KTW before Christmas, adding the agricultural operation has been “challenging” and he is working to provide compensation to vendors. Scorgie, known in Kamloops as a lawyer, rancher, TRU professor and former Kamloops Chamber of Commerce president, said he is living in Salmon Arm and commutes to teach at TRU. He called this the “most challenging period of his life,” noting he and husband and business partner Percy Folkard have divorced. He said Country Blaze Growers did not produce a cannabis crop in 2022, adding that the company was working to move the 2021 crop, which he said was in storage.
“I have ruined my reputation in Kamloops,” Scorgie said. “A lot of these people did work for me because they knew me and, did I ever anticipate this was going to happen? No. I literally worked, you know, invested my whole life into this. To have something like this, it’s been extremely challenging.” In January 2022, Kamloops This Week published a story on two local companies — Delta Irrigation and Gallant Trucking — that sought through small claims court thousands of dollars in compensation for goods and services from Country Blaze. Owners of the companies have told KTW they are still waiting to get paid. After the story was published, KTW was contacted by additional vendors seeking payments from Country Blaze. Two additional civil claims were filed in March 2022. One notice of civil claim states Kamloops Scaffold provided scaffold and labour services on June 13, 2020, and on July 11, 2020, with $12,572 owed. Another notice of civil claim alleges $16,748.57 is owed to Kamloops Plywood Sales for building materials. The claim states no payments were made, despite numerous attempts. See HEALTH CANADA, A10
FEB 11
TOM LAVIN & THE LEGENDARY
SAGEBRUSH THEATRE
45TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR
PHOTO BY DEE LIPPINGWELL
DOIN IT RIGHT (ON THE WRONG SIDE OF TOWN)
DOORS 6:30PM - SHOW 7:30PM
Tickets are available at Kamloops Live! Box Office
250-374-5483