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The Local - Thursday, April 30, 2015
Marijuana meetings hear objections to grow-ops
Anyone hoping to establish a new medical marijuana grow-op in the District of Sechelt found little support at two public information meetings held in the afternoon and evening of April 21. The prospect of restricting grow operations to fivehectare-and-larger areas in the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR)—as dictated by the District’s current bylaw—met with strong objections from some among the estimated 100 people
who attended the meetings at Sechelt’s Seaside Centre. The suggestion of putting grow-ops in areas zoned for industrial also met with opposition. “Just even discussing putting medical marijuana growops on the ALR increases the price of our land,” said West Sechelt vegetable farmer Jon Bell. “What you will have done is frozen out the young farmer, who can no longer afford the land.” Bell also said he has no
objections to medical marijuana grown in open fields or greenhouses, but did object to the bunker-type buildings the federal government requires for grow ops, and which he said have no place in the ALR. Among other requirements, the costly buildings must have high, chain-link perimeter fencing, “impenetrable walls” and interior vaults, and often have to be multi-storey to be economically viable.
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elt,” said Anderchek. “I don’t think, regardless of property size or zoning, that it should ever butt up into residential property.” ‘Big economic opportunity’ Len Werden, CEO of Seashore Organic Medicine— which is building the yet-tobe-licenced grow-op in East Porpoise Bay—said the industry offers “a big economic opportunity” for the community. Werden said a licenced medical marijuana operation in Nanaimo is employing 100 people and contemplates hiring hundreds more. “And these are not minimum-wage jobs,” said Werden District Chief Administrative Officer Bill Beamish, who moderated the meeting, said the councillors wanted to hear, “where the community would be comfortable with— or if the community would be comfortable with—medical marijuana.” Beamish also noted that, “there are some communities who have not approved it to be grown anywhere, and they haven’t been challenged in court.” Mayor Bruce Milne, who attended the meeting along with District Councillors, did not indicate what course of action he would prefer, but did point out that there are
several industrial-zoned lots in Sechelt that aren’t being used. “There is simply no demand,” Milne said “I think we’ve got lots for any current use.” District planner Angela Letman provided context for the meetings with a powerpoint presentation on the current federal legislation, along with maps showing where large ALR and industrial lots are located in the community. Letman’s map of industrial zoning indicated there are large tracts near the airport and at a considerable distance from any residential areas. Sechelt resident Marc Nixon said he didn’t care whether or not any new bylaw stipulated grow operations in the ALR or industrial areas, but said that in either case they should be as out of sight as possible. “I would really like to see a minimum 60-metre setback to the lot line from the neighbour and a minimum of 500 metres from any residential or school facility,” Nixon said. Letman said a new bylaw could be prepared for late May, in which case it would go to a public hearing, probably sometime in June.
Sunday, May 3 is the Sunshine Coast Botanical Garden’s big Plant Sale, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 5941 Mason Road in Sechelt. A huge variety of perennials, shrubs, small trees, grasses and food plants are potted up by skilled volunteers, ready for you. Find plants to suit every coast garden and every gardener, from beginner to expert. Experienced gardeners can help you choose the best plants for your garden, and Master Gardeners will be on hand to answer gardening questions. A teaser list of plants is online at www. coastbotanicalgarden.org . This year find sun-loving
daisies in soft yellow or peach, easy-care hardy geraniums, and pink bee balm. For shady spots, try double white bloodroot, blue-eyed Mary, or select from a host of hostas. Some of the very special plants are lady’s slipper orchid, May apple, and variegated Solomon’s seal, but there old favourites such as lilac, hydrangea, calla lilies and iris. Japanese maple, spirea and ninebark are among the small trees available. Drought tolerant salvia, cottage pinks, ornamental grasses, and native blue lupine are combine beauty and resilience. Tantalizing succulents include
echeveria, aeonium, sedum and agave. Savvy shoppers arrive early to get the best selection. Plan to carpool, bring a cart, wheelbarrow, or bins to tote plants. A Plant Hold Area allows you to park your plants for a while so you can look around, retrieve your car, or see the garden. Sunshine Coast Botanical Garden is open six days per week by donation, with summer hours now, Friday to Wednesday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Membership is very reasonable, and allows unlimited free visits, discounts, and a chance to support a community treasure. Submitted
Dance in May to support partying in July. Coming up on May 9th at 8pm in the Roberts Creek Hall there will be a dancing night to remember, with 3 DJs along with Karen Graves on sax and Andy Bloemhard
on drums. Club/EDM/Dance music will be on the menu, with awesome lighting and all the dance floor bangers you can take. The event is to raise money for the 2015 Sea Cavalcade – July 24-26 in Gibsons – and
for the new Gibsons Elementary School playground. Tickets are $20.00 in advance at Laedeli in the Sunnycrest Mall and Chemistry Clothing in Gibsons, and at Melomania in Roberts Creek.
Save $100 on a new smartphone when you add a Mobility or Home Services product to a TELUS bundle. DEALER LOGO AND ADDRESS GO HERE (dotted line does not print)
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Botanical Garden plant sale
Dance music on the menu
Rik Jespersen
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About 50 people attended each of Sechelt’s two medical marijuana bylaw information meetings April 21 at the Seaside Centre. Rik Jespersen photo
If building regulations change, prices drop, or marijuana is decriminalized, said Bell, “we’re stuck with a very large building in the Agricultural Reserve that will have no valid farm use.” Walter Tripp, another West Sechelt agricultural land owner, argued instead that grow-ops would force land values down. Virtually all ALR properties in West Sechelt are essentially “estate acreages,” Tripp said. “If one of these things goes in next door to you,” he said, “It’s going to make your property unsaleable. Nobody else is going to want it.” Tripp said properties adjoining a Shawnigan Lake grow-op on Vancouver Island had dropped 20 per cent in value. Sechelt property owner Mike Anderchek said he lives beside a grow-op under construction on land zoned for industrial use in East Porpoise Bay. (The project was approved under a previous bylaw and has yet to be licenced by Health Canada. The federal government requires buildings to be fully constructed before they are inspected for potential licencing.) “When I look out my window, I look at the ugliest building ever made in Sech-