FAMILY LOSES HOME OVER GROW OP

Marijuana Grown There Before They Moved In; House Declared
Unsafe

When Jackie Lessard's young daughter began complaining of severe
headaches and stomach pains, she made a doctor's appointment.

Various tests, including a CT scan, failed to turn up the cause of the
11-year-old's pain.

"She's always healthy, so I couldn't understand what was happening,"
Lessard said.

When her 10-year-old son's asthma medication seemed to no longer
control his wheezing and watery eyes, the concerned mother made
another medical appointment.

Again, tests were unable to pinpoint a cause. And Lessard herself
wasn't feeling so well, either.

"I got this cough in the summer that I can't seem to get rid of. My
throat is so raspy my voice has changed," she said, adding her
16-year-old daughter has also complained of feeling unwell. On Friday,
the medical mystery was solved. But the family's ordeal is far from
over.

They were ordered to leave their Thorold Stone Road home after city
officials discovered the building once housed a marijuana growing operation.

"With the amount of mold in this building, especially in the basement,
I'm not surprised to see respiratory problems, irritations and
headaches," said Jim Jessop, assistant chief with the Niagara Falls
Fire Department.

Lessard and her husband, Brett Sanderson, moved in to the two-storey
home in July. Due to some structural problems, Sanderson contacted the
city's building department for help.

During an inspection, officials found a basement room filled with
black mold and a re-routed heating vent - tell-tale signs of a
marijuana grow op.

"We knew we had problems, but not to this extent. All we wanted was
the landlord to fix the place up," Lessard said.

Hydro, gas and water have been shut off and the city issued an unsafe
building order and an order prohibiting occupancy against the property.

The owner - registered as a numbered company - will be required to
comply with the requirements of both orders before the family will be
allowed to return.

The fire department continues to investigate the matter. As of Friday,
no charges had been laid.

"Our immediate concern is occupant safety, making sure the health of
the kids and the family are taken care of," Jessop said.

The fire department was able to find short-term lodging for the family
Friday afternoon.