PARENTS CHARGED OVER BABES IN GROW-OP

The parents of two young children have been charged with endangering
the lives of their kids after police uncovered a massive marijuana
growing operation in the family's Calgary home and found a toddler's
shoes scattered among a forest of pot plants.

A 2-month-old baby and a 21/2-year-old girl were apprehended by
provincial social service workers after police found evidence the
children were exposed to myriad hazards of the basement grow-op.

"There's no doubt that they lived in the house, which is a huge risk
not just to kids but to adults as well," Calgary police drug unit
Detective Chris Fileccia said Friday.

"It looks like Mom and Dad were tending their plants with their kids
right there with them. The plants were taller than a toddler, so you
could have lost track of them pretty quickly."

Police raided the house Thursday afternoon and found 254 pot plants -
worth roughly $320,000 - growing in the basement.

Also at home were a 23-year-old woman, who was arrested at the scene,
and her two children, who were taken into the care of the Children at
Risk Response Team.

Fileccia said the grow-op was powered by stolen electricity that posed
a serious threat to the safety of the people living in the house. "I
wouldn't want my 2-year-old wandering around where there's wires from
an electrical bypass all over the place."

"The electrical ballasts were under the stairs where they were easily
accessible. ... It's just a matter of touching that stuff, with the
moisture in the air and on the floor, and you're dead. It's that simple."