CANDIDATE ONCE NAILED FOR GROWING MARIJUANA

Chilliwack city council candidate Garth Glassel was convicted of
production of a controlled substance in connection with a marijuana
grow operation on his Abbotsford property 10 years ago, the Times has
learned.

And while Glassel admits he made a mistake, that mistake was being a
sloppy landlord renting to bad tenants.

"I rented out a garage to some people that we don't want to get
involved with," Glassel told the Times Monday. "Unfortunately they did
something that they weren't supposed to do and the only one left
standing was me."

Glassel was charged with production of a controlled substance in
Abbotsford on Sept. 2, 1999 and his first court appearance was Sept.
16.

He was found guilty on Jan. 22, 2001 and, according to Glassel, was
issued a $1,000 fine.

When asked by the Times if those who rented the garage from him had
ties to gangs, Glassel would not elaborate, which, he says, is
precisely why he felt forced to plead guilty.

He said he didn't know the renter of the double garage on the back of
his Abbotsford property was growing marijuana and he didn't know how
many plants were growing.

But when the police came and "the thing went down" he was the only one
on the property.

"It was a mistake that I got into and something that a lot of
landlords get into," he said. "Unfortunately it was on my property. .
. . I'm not the first guy to get caught."

The first-time council candidate said his experience taught him a
valuable lesson about being a landlord and getting involved with "a
certain type of people."

Given the potential repercussions of naming such people, Glassel said
his lawyer recommended he plead guilty and move on.

Glassel also said he learned as a landlord that rental properties and
buildings such as the one he owned should be checked in on every two
months.

"I've learned from other people that it takes about three months to
grow a crop," he said.

After the Times asked Glassel about the conviction Monday, he issued a
press release where he said he "was very sure that this was going to
be put forth as a 'character assassination' so I went to Elections BC
to make sure I was able to run for council. They cleared me as being
able to run."

A criminal conviction does not disqualify someone running for office,
according to the B.C. Local Government Election act. A candidate is
only disqualified if he or she "have been convicted of an indictable
offence and are in custody."

He added that he supports a bylaw that requires landlords to inspect
properties every two months and he supports the removal of medical
marijuana out of residential areas.

"I don't smoke marijuana, or anything else for that matter, but I also
don't believe in prohibition, it never worked in the 1920s," he wrote.
"What you do to your own body in your own home, is your business. As
long as you don't hurt or affect your fellow neighbours, it is not my
or the government's concern."