TOWNSHIP BOOTS BUSINESS, BUT GROW-OP STAYS

House a grow-op, drugs and illegal guns and you're welcome to stay in
Willoughby. But house a small legitimate business and you'll be shut
down, says a neighbour of a known drug house on 82 Avenue, where a man
accidentally killed himself while taking drugs and handling an
Uzi-like gun last week.

Rob Bye runs Lienbor Custom Cabinets out of an outbuilding in the back
of his two-and-a-half acre rental property on 82 Avenue.

"I've been told this area isn't zoned for businesses. Is it zoned for
crack heads and grow-ops then? Because I'm going to be fined $1,000 a
day if I continue to run my business here.

"If the house where that guy died was a 'known' drug house, then why
aren't they being fined $1,000 a day for having a grow op?"

Just before Christmas, the Township fire department's grow-op
inspection team paid Bye a visit because his property registered a
high use of electricity.

"I use a lot of electricity because I have a lot of machines running,"
he said. "My wife showed them around. We have nothing to hide. But
then we received a notice from the [Township] saying we have to cease
and desist my business."

He has until Feb. 15 to take down the machinery and stop
business.

"Here I am making an honest living . . . it's not like I'm in a small
residential area. This is all acreage properties," he said. "I've put
cabinets in most of my neighbours' homes. I've never had any
complaints."

He points out that most of the homes on the street (which is in
transition) have businesses, from mechanical shops and car restoration
businesses to a shelving manufacturer. He paid to register his
business years ago.

Meanwhile, the renters of the known drug house are free to continue
living there if they so wish, even though police seized an Uzi-type
gun, a shotgun, drugs and dismantled a small grow operation in the
basement.

Charges aren't likely to come from the investigation into the grow-op,
drugs and guns, said police spokesperson Cpl. Peter Thiessen.

A 51-year-old Langley man, who was known to police, died after
accidentally shooting himself in the head at the drug house at 20217
82 Ave. in Willoughby Thursday morning.

Police say the victim was a resident of the home along with a
33-year-old man and 56-year-old Langley woman. Police say the three
had been using drugs and handling the Uzi-type gun. The weapon is
illegal in Canada.

As the 51-year-old resident was mishandling the weapon, it fired and
struck him in the head, killing him instantly.

The other two residents, who are also known to police, weren't
injured.

Police also discovered a loaded long barrel rifle. Police have been
called to this home in the past.

Bye points out that he has to be out of his rental property in two
years anyway, because the home and outbuilding are going to be torn
down to make way for development.

"If you throw me out, a grow-op is going to move in. This place is
perfect for a grow-op. Is that what the mayor wants here?"

Bye said while he spends huge amounts of money in the community,
buying from local lumber yards and other stores, he will move his
business to a municipality that wants him.

"I don't want to move from Langley, I have a good customer base here,
but it seems they would rather have crack houses and grow-ops here."

The name of the man who accidentally shot himself will not be released
by police.