Pubdate: Tue, 21 Nov 2006 Source: Review, The (CN ON) Copyright: 2006 Osprey Media Group Inc. Contact: http://www.niagarafallsreview.ca Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2907 Author: Alison Langley Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada) HAPPY ENDING FOR FAMILY'S GROW-OP NIGHTMARE Krista Hopes Her Nightmare Is Over. The Niagara Falls woman, who did not want her last name used, said her family has had their lives turned upside down since September after being told their rental property once housed an elaborate marijuana-growing operation. The family of five was essentially left homeless. Due to health concerns, the children went to live with family members, but Krista and her husband stayed put as they had no where else to go. That all changed last week after fire department officials received the results of an environmental assessment. "Our worst fears were confirmed. The house is not fit for human habitation," said Jim Jessop, a fire prevention officer with the Niagara Falls Fire Department. The report, which analyzed the concentration of mould and moisture in the home, recommended all occupants be removed immediately. The family had been looking for a new home since September and after more than 60 viewings, they had been unable to find a suitable residence to accommodate their large family. Ironically, one of the homes they viewed was also a former grow-op. "It was getting down to the wire. We were really getting panicky," Krista said. They managed to secure a new home Saturday, however it won't be available until Dec. 1. In the meantime, Krista received a call from Niagara Falls MPP Kim Craitor, whom she had contacted soon after she discovered her home's unsavoury history. "I was so disgusted when I found out what had happened to these people," Craitor said. Craitor turned to Ripley Entertainment, which owns and operates Great Wolf Lodge. Great Wolf Lodge offered to put the family up in one of its executive homes on Leader Lane. The family will stay at the furnished home, free of charge, until December. "This is a horrible, horrible situation that this family stumbled into. Our main concern is that the family is reunited and stays together," said Tim Parker, general manager of Ripley's Attractions. Krista is eager to put the past behind her. "All I want is my family back," she said Monday as she packed up her childrens' clothes. Krista has noticed a slew of problems in recent weeks, problems that makes the move all the more urgent. There is constant moisture on the windows. It is as if the walls are crying, so much so that the furniture has had to be pulled away from the walls. Mould has stained the windowsills black and the paint is peeling from around the windows. Mould that started in the upstairs bathroom has spread, covering the walls and ceiling with little black dots. The cost to clean up the home could run between $40,000 and $60,000. The owner now has 30 days to either comply with the building order or "the city will exercise its options and examine all legal options," Jessop said. "Demolition is a strong possibility," he added. The fact her dream home may be demolished angers Krista. "It just sickens me. This is a beautiful home in a beautiful neighbourhood and they've just destroyed it," she said. The family had moved in to the large four-bedroom, three-bath, two-kitchen home less than six weeks after a police raid netted thousands of dollars in marijuana plants. The family had no idea the fire department had issued an unsafe building order on the property which meant no one could reside at the home until the hazards caused by the grow-op were remediated. The owner has been charged with violating an order under the Ontario Fire Prevention and Protection Act. That case is expected to be heard in a Niagara Falls court next spring. Just last week, a Niagara Falls property owner was fined $100,000 for ignoring a similar court order to clean up a former grow-op in downtown Niagara Falls. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom