Niagara homebuilder fined $150,000 for ‘illegal and unethical conduct’
Christopher Lamb previously convicted for role in marijuana operation
A Niagara man previously convicted for his role in a multimillion-dollar marijuana trafficking operation has been fined $150,000 by the provincial agency that licenses and regulates new home builders.
The Home Construction Regulatory Authority on Wednesday announced the fine was levied against Christopher Lamb and his former company, Novel Condominiums, after both were convicted of multiple counts of illegally acting as a vendor of a new home.
Lamb was charged in November 2021 following an investigation by the HCRA into “illegal and unethical conduct” in the Niagara Falls area.
According to the agency, Lamb and Novel Condominiums had illegally entered into 26 agreements of purchase and sale with new home buyers.
The fines were handed down in December 2023 in provincial offences court in Welland.
Lamb was convicted in September 2021 of several criminal charges related to the sale and export of cannabis.
He received a two-year conditional sentence, also known as house arrest, and was fined $175,000.
More than a dozen people from Niagara, the GTA and B.C. were arrested in 2020 following a lengthy police investigation dubbed Project Woolwich, which led to the seizure of $42 million in cannabis.
According to the Ontario Provincial Police, the operation diverted cannabis grown for medical purposes to sell illegally in Ontario, British Columbia and the U.S.
The investigation led to the search of various locations, including a greenhouse in Jordan and a house in Niagara-on-thelake.
In an unrelated matter, the HCRA also announced it had taken action against Hira Custom Homes Inc. in Cambridge, denying the company a licence following complaints of unethical conduct pertaining to a home sale in Caledon.
“In one case, several new homes were being sold without a licence, which is illegal,” Wendy Moir, the HCRA’S chief executive officer and registrar, said in a release.
“In the other, there was a failure to conduct business with honesty, integrity and in accordance with the law.”
She said both cases reinforce the importance of new home buyers making an informed decision by checking the Ontario Builder Directory before doing business with a builder or vendor.
The directory provides information on companies, including licensing status, related principals, directors and officers, and their conduct history with the regulator.
The HCRA enforces the New Home Construction Licensing Act, regulates new home builders and vendors, enforces professional standards and handles homebuyer concerns about the conduct of a builder or vendor.
“No one is permitted to take a shortcut or skirt around the rules,” Moir said in the release.
“If you want to sell new homes in Ontario, you must be licensed by the HCRA and meet our professional standards and expectations.”
A conviction for violating the act can result in fines, imprisonment and/or an order to pay compensation and/or make restitution.