East Gwillimbury takes medical marijuana facility to court

The town announced in memo that it has commenced court proceedings against the property located at the former Queensville Antique Mall on 20091 Woodbine Avenue.

Yorkregion.com
August 12, 2020

Ward 3 Coun. Scott Crone and Mayor Virginia Hackson stand in front of a greenhouse located on Woodbine Avenue in East Gwillimbury. - Simon Martin/Torstar

In its battle to curb the proliferation of marijuana greenhouses, East Gwillimbury is taking a medical marijuana facility on Woodbine Avenue to court. The town announced in memo that it has commenced court proceedings against the property located at the former Queensville Antique Mall on 20091 Woodbine Avenue.

According to the town, staff confirmed the property was being used as a medical marijuana facility in April, which doesn’t conform to the town’s zoning bylaw.

Town staff also said that building structures and additions were being constructed or altered without building permits required by the building code.

In response, town staff directed the owner to cease and desist use of the property as a medical marijuana facility, issued an order to comply with structures contravening the building code and issued a stop work order requiring the property owner to cease construction.

According to the town, as of July 7, the property owner had failed to comply with the orders issued from the town.

In response to the noncompliance, East Gwillimbury commenced legal proceeding seeking an order restraining the use of the property as a medical marijuana facility and orders requiring the property owner to comply with orders issued by the town.

The Town has asked that the Court hear this matter on an expedited basis noting that it in the public interest to ensure compliance with applicable law.

Earlier this year council passed an interim control bylaw restricting the development of cannabis production facilities outside of industrial zoned areas for one year as they evaluate the situation.

At the time, Mayor Virginia Hackson said that while the town saw a few greenhouses erected in 2019, things have really gotten intense this year, with eight properties being used for marijuana production, according to the town. Oftentimes the greenhouses are built without notice or the proper permits. “They go up relatively quickly without ever coming to the town,” Hackson said. “There is something wrong here.”  

On July 21, Hackson hosted a panel discussion to talk about cannabis production facilities in East Gwillimbury.

At the panel discussion York Regional Police Det. Sgt. Ahmad Salhia said organized crime in Canada is very good a producing cannabis and selling not only in Canada but to the United States as well. “They are very good at distributing it internationally,” he said. While the problem is certainly local, Salhia also said it is very much national problem as these organized crime groups have sophisticated distribution networks. Salhia said they have found facilities with 3,000 and 5,000 cannabis plants in East Gwillimbury in recent years, which were overgrowing.

“We are taking the bull by the horns on this matter,” Det. Salhia said.

Until it become a criminal matter, the police's hands are somewhat tied, Det. Salhia said. Those two investigations began with contact from the town, he said.

“I know that it can be frustrating from community members when they see these grow-ops pop up,” he said. “It can be, at times, a slow tedious process before enforcement takes place.”

The issue has become a major problem in the rural areas of many towns, including East Gwillimbury, said Ward 3 Coun. Scott Crone who said the location of many of these facilities contravene the town’s zoning bylaw.

“If you want to grow it, that’s fine, but (you've) got to do it in an industrial area,” Crone said.

Bill Potts has lived in rural East Gwillimbury for more than 50 years, and he has concerns with what is happening to the rural landscape. “It is getting rampant,” he said.