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Tim Hagen had come to quietly appreciate the cannabis growing operation tucked away in the woods a few kilometres north of his village.

But this week, one of the underpinnings of the local economy, Aurora Cannabis’ Mountain facility, got the word from corporate headquarters in Edmonton that it would be uprooted, a victim of hard times in the country’s fledgling pot industry.

With it goes more than 100 jobs, tax revenue for Mountain View County and money for the village through its sale of water, said Hagen, mayor of the village of 444 people.

“It’s going to hurt,” said Hagen.

“A few people thought it may happen but didn’t think it’d happen this quickly.”

It’s also a blow to local businesses that catered to grow operation staff, most of who hail from outside Cremona, said the mayor.

Although he said he hopes the 55,000-square-foot facility will be purchased and put to use after Aurora’s departure, he’s not optimistic about that at the moment.