EX-GROW-OPS SHOULD BE REGISTERED: MITCHELL

The territory needs a registry of all properties identified as former
marijuana grow-ops, according to Arthur Mitchell, leader of the Yukon
Liberal Party.

"Grow-ops and illegal drug operations can produce property defects and
health hazards that are major concerns for the public,"Mitchell said
this week.

"And potential purchasers need a central place to check before
buying."

Damage to the structural integrity of a property and severe mold
infestations can depend on the size of an operation and how long a
place has been used to grow marijuana.

To date, only the City of Whitehorse has regulations prohibiting
properties from being renovated to produce illicit drugs, and for the
dispensation of former grow-ops in its Controlled Substance Properties
Bylaw, enacted in September 2007.

It prohibits alterations to properties, such as bypassing electrical
meters or diverting exhaust vents for pumping carbon dioxide into a
building, the modus operandi for those who convert homes into
marijuana grow-ops.

It also contains regulations for restoration of such properties before
they can be reoccupied or sold, and order owners to inform prospective
buyers.

According to Cpl. Glenn Ramsay of the Whitehorse RCMP, the prevalence
of grow-op activity in the region is not as high as in southern B.C.,
but they are significant risks to public health and safety no matter
where they are located.

"A year-and-a-half ago, there were charges laid in relation to five or
six grow-ops engaged in the cultivation of marijuana," said Ramsay.
"But we don't track them (in our records) in terms of which residences.

"Certainly the message we want to get out is the danger or fire
because of the enormous amount of electricity that's used and the
illegal tampering of electrical equipment, there's definitely health
risks to that," Ramsay continued.

However, there's nothing in territorial legislation that compels an
owner of a former grow-op to disclose that information to the vendor.

Terry Bergen, president of the Yukon Real Estate Association, said
realtors ask vendors about the history of a property and inform
potential buyers if they're aware that it was used as a grow-op.

"I don't know if there's been any properties sold without people
knowing unless it was sold privately and the vendor didn't disclose
it," said Bergen. "If we know the house has been a grow-op, we make
sure the purchaser has knowledge of that."

Chris Ross, the communications co-ordinator for the Department of
Justice, said today the buying and selling of property remains a civil
issue.

"This is not a criminal issue," said Ross.

"As in other jurisdictions, when a property changes hands, these
issues are handled in the purchase agreement, and until the government
determines a new legal direction, this will remain a civil issue
between the parties involved in the purchase."