CLEANUP ORDERED AT MARIJUANA GROW SITES

The city moved last week against the owners of two properties that
were sites of illegal marijuana grow operations, but who have not
responded to municipal cleanup requirements under the city's new pot
bylaw.

About 50 properties to date have been cited under the city's Nuisance,
Noxious or Offensive Trades, Health and Safety bylaw aimed at
marijuana grow-ops and clandestine chemical labs.

The property at 45832 Wellington Avenue is registered to a numbered
company in Vancouver and the property at 4985 Cultus Lake Road is
registered to Michael Janecky.

The owners have 30 days to comply with the cleanup order or 14 days to
ask city council for a show cause hearing. If no response is made the
city will undertake the cleanup at the owners' cost, and file a notice
on the property's title alerting potential buyers to the building's
history.

Both properties were deemed unsafe for dwelling by the city until the
remedial work is done.

Police found more than 1,000 marijuana plants at the Wellington Avenue
property in January this year. Evidence of unreported fire damage was
also found and the two-storey residential/commercial building needs
re-certification for structural soundness because of alterations made
for the grow-op.

The Cultus Lake Road property is located in a secluded area just
within the city boundaries. Police found about 2,500 marijuana plants
growing there in October last year.

Coun. Sharon Gaetz, chair of the city's public safety committee, says
she is "heartened" by the protection the bylaw is giving to children
who might otherwise be exposed to mould and other toxic substances
that remain after a grow-op site is taken down by police.