$1 MILLION PEMBERTON POT BUST

More Than 840 Plants Seized

Police seized more than 840 marijuana plants and expensive hydroponic
equipment from a grow-op in Pemberton Saturday.

The operation was shut down when police executed a search warrant for
1468 Laburnum Street.

Police would not divulge the street value of the seized marijuana.
However, based on a conservative wholesale price of $1,500 a pound,
with the average yield per plant exceeding three-quarters of a pound,
the crop is potentially worth a minimum $945,000.

"This is the largest indoor grow-op we've shut down in recent memory,"
said Devon Jones, media liaison for the Whistler-Pemberton RCMP.

Jones would not rule out the possibility that this size of operation
may have ties to organize crime, but said it could be a simple case of
"supply and demand" with the opportunity to unload a significant cache
of marijuana presenting itself.

"Whether or not there's an element of organized crime, I don't know,"
said the three-year veteran of the Whistler-Pemberton detachment. "I
have yet to hear or get information of any Pemberton or Whistler
grow-ops that would indicate a link to organized crime."

The seizure was the result of an anonymous tip that led to a lengthy
investigation of the premises, owned by Whistler-resident Edward
Lovely. Jones could not comment on whether or not Lovely was one of
the two suspects with charges pending.

The two-storey, wood frame home in the residential neighbourhood known
as Vinyl Village housed a multi-phase grow-op in the three bedrooms on
the home's upper floor. One room contained plants ready to harvest,
another was a nursery where plants were maturing, while the third room
housed "clones" -- small plants cloned from successful planets with a
high THC level.

According to Jones, the house was unoccupied and seemed dedicated to
the grow-op.

The investigation, described as ongoing, has so far led to the arrest
of two suspects: a 35-year-old male and 38-year-old woman, both of
Whistler. The two turned themselves into the RCMP on Sunday. Charges
are dependent upon further investigation.

The penalties the two suspects are subject to will be at the
discretion of the Crown, which takes into account factors such as
previous criminal records. Const. Jones confirmed that neither of the
two suspects has an existing police record. Formal charges will be
made once all of the forensic material is gathered and the entire file
is presented to the Crown. This will likely occur within seven to 10
days.

The sophisticated operation utilized re-routed power to run the
high-end hydroponic equipment. On Saturday, B.C. Hydro was called to
the scene to evaluate the state of the wiring. Hydro confirmed that
the electrical integrity of the home was in question and shut off the
power to the residence.

The bust marks the first time that Pemberton has employed its Grow
Operation Health and Safety Bylaw.

"This is the first grow-op that's been busted in the Village of
Pemberton since the bylaw has been in place," confirmed Sheena Fraser,
VOP deputy clerk. "There have been other grow-ops busted in the
Pemberton area, but they were not in village boundaries."

The bylaw is a comprehensive 14-page document that outlines
prohibitions and remedies to "Regulate, Prohibit or Impose
Requirements Respecting Nuisances, Noxious or Offensive Trades, and
Health and Safety Risks."

Upon arrival at scene, the Pemberton Fire Chief, acting on behalf of
the Village of Pemberton deemed the residence unfit for habitation and
subsequently revoked the occupancy permit under the bylaw which came
into effect on Feb. 15.

The bylaw, which is in line with that adopted by several
municipalities in the Lower Mainland, puts the onus on the home owner
to bring the premises up to code before it can be inhabited. The
legislation was adopted to encourage landlords to be aware of the
activities occurring in their rental properties.

Owners with homes housing grow ops are responsible for all fees
incurred in bringing the facility back up to code including:
professional cleaning, licensed repair and all necessary permits.