Pubdate: Fri, 12 Sep 2014
Source: Niagara Falls Review, The (CN ON)
Copyright: 2014 Niagara Falls Review
Contact: http://www.niagarafallsreview.ca/letters
Website: http://www.niagarafallsreview.ca
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2907
Author: Suzanne Mason
Page: A5

COUNCIL BUZZING OVER SMELL FROM GROW-OP

The smell emanating from a medicinal marijuana grow-op on Lakeshore 
Rd. has prompted Niagara-on-the-Lake town council to send another 
complaint to Health Canada.

Coun. Martin Mazza said the crop in the greenhouse at 1651 Lakeshore 
Rd. near Garrison Village will be harvested soon and already has a 
bad odour. The operation had been licensed under previous Health 
Canada regulations before new federal legislation took effect April 1.

Since then, the town has passed bylaws that require marijuana 
greenhouses larger than 10,000 square feet to be subject to site plan 
controls and located at least 70 metres from sensitive land-use 
areas, including residential properties.

Health Canada also now requires complaints about odours be addressed 
within five days by the facility owners.

Chief administrative officer Mike Galloway said he could forward 
council "the accumulated correspondence" to Health Canada over the 
past year about this operation.

"There has to be something we can say to residents," said Coun. Jim 
Collard. "We need a Coles Notes version."

Coun. Dennis Dick said the Lakeshore Rd. facility can continue to 
operate under the former agreement with the federal government until 
the matter goes to the Supreme Court.

"Until then, we can't do anything," he said. "They don't have to 
abide by the new rules."

Councillors voted unanimously in favour of Mazza's motion that Lord 
Mayor Dave Eke write to Health Canada on behalf of council with 
copies to Niagara Falls MP Rob Nicholson and Niagara Regional Police.

Since the new regulations took effect, the town has approved the site 
plan for one application and turned down another. Eke had written a 
letter to Health Canada following rejection of an application on Line 
7 in July, asking how Ottawa would ensure there would be no odours 
escaping from grow-ops and how complaints would be handled.

He noted at a council meeting in July that odour is the major concern 
about grow-ops from neighbourhood residents, but Health Canada does 
not appear to have any tools to measure it.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom