Neighbours want action on legal grow-ops
CKL staff say they’ve had inquiries about a number of industrial buildings and vacant lots, including the Fleetwood property
CANNINGTON - When four workers of a legal outdoor marijuana grow-op near Beaverton were robbed by five men carrying guns last month, Linda Valleau’s thought was of her own situation.
The Cannington-area woman lives down the road from a legal grow-op. They had already harvested there, she says. Perhaps that made a difference. But she can’t help but think what could have happened in her neighbourhood if they hadn’t.
On Valleau’s concession road, the odour was a giveaway. It’s how she learned her neighbours were hosting a grow-op. But she feels it’s a real concern when neighbours aren’t notified.
On. Oct. 18, Durham regional police reported that five men with guns approached a group of workers at the Concession Road 4 and Highway 12-area grow-op at about 6 a.m. The workers, they say, were forced into a security trailer and were tied up. Their personal belongings were taken, and the men made off with several garbage bags full of dried marijuana from a storage barn. They fled the property in a vehicle stolen from one of the workers. Police have yet to make an arrest.
Valleau had talked with other concerned neighbours in her area about just that risk a week before it happened. She wonders how many others are at risk.
Finding out where these legal grow-ops are located can be a challenge. In Brock Township, staff were asked if there is a way of finding out how many legal grow-ops there are in the municipality.
“Unfortunately, we do not have this information,” deputy clerk Becky Jamieson responded. “You would need to contact Health Canada as they are the licensing authority.”
In Kawartha Lakes, we asked a similar question, including whether special zoning would be required for a legal grow-op, and whether long-held rumours of a proposed grow-op in the old Fleetwood trailer factory were true.
Chris Marshall, director of development services responded. "In terms of the zoning for growops, the city has been guiding people to the general employment zone in Lindsay as we consider the grow-ops as being manufacturing, processing and warehousing type of use. Although grow-ops include the growing of plants, we do not consider this an agricultural use as there is usually more than growing involved such as the processing side of things.
“We have had inquiries from prospective grow-ops for a number of industrial buildings and vacant lots in the city, including the Fleetwood property.”
The city’s municipal law enforcement and licensing division says legal grow-ops are not registered by a city bylaw. Licensing requirements and licences for medical cannabis production are set by Health Canada. “Accordingly, the requirement to notify the municipality is also set by Health Canada.”
Jackie Hildenbrand of the Kawartha Lakes OPP detachment says they don’t have a unit specifically dedicated to investigating crimes that occur at legal marijuana production facilities. However, the OPP would investigate the complaint and use whatever resources were necessary. Some of the resources, beyond uniform response, would be the area criminal investigations unit, community street crime unit, forensic identification unit and emergency response teams, she says.
“Health Canada will confirm for police if a valid licence to produce at the property exists.”
Health Canada has issued 69 licences to grow in Ontario and while it lists those companies licensed on its website, it does not list locations or the number of grow-op locations.
In Brock Township, Valleau says there are enough concerned people talking to pinpoint at least five legal grow-ops. She’s hosted two meetings at her home; one with Mayor-elect Debbie Bath Hadden, and a second with Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock MP Jamie Schmale.
Potential gunpoint robberies are one concern, but it extends to simple home comfort, she says.
“You can’t breathe,” she says, when the odour wafts down from the neighbouring grow-op. “It stinks.” She also has concerns with the local water table. “This year, our wells haven’t gone dry. But what will happen if we have a dry season? Who is going to pay for our new wells? We can’t afford $15,000 just because a grow-op used all our water.”
While she believes some of the estimated five working grow-ops in Brock Township are on oneyear licences, she’s heard that possibly three new licences have been granted for the 2019 season.
While mykawartha.com wasn’t able to reach Schmale, Valleau says he’s been helpful in the cause and has been in talks with a fellow MP in British Columbia where neighbours have raised similar concerns.
“He’s been very helpful.” She’s hoping Schmale and his counterpart can draft a bill, or even guidelines, and take them to parliament addressing the concerns of citizens forced to live near legal grow-ops.
“We don’t feel safe a night,” she says. “People coming up from the city are going to rob these places.”