County of Simcoe councillors are smoking mad at what they feel is a lack of response by the federal government regarding concerns from municipalities across the country surrounding Health Canada Issued Cannabis Permits.
A November 2020 letter to Minister of Health Patty Hadju, signed by 30 MPs from across the country, outlined concerns about a loophole in medical marijuana regulations, which the MPs believe is allowing large-scale grow operations to emerge without any of the protocols to which licensed producers are subject.
On Aug. 10, county councillors agreed to follow up by sending their own letter from Warden George Cornell to federal ministers, local MPs, local municipalities and relevant provincial ministries reiterating continuing municipal issues and concerns relating to municipal planning and bylaw enforcement, and asking both the federal and provincial authorities for “understanding, support and change”.
“I know our member municipalities have raised concern over the lack of response to our recent correspondence and that’s why there was a feeling to elevate this,” said Rob Elliott, general manager of engineering, planning and environment during Tuesday’s Committee of the Whole meeting.
County officials were not aware of the outcome of the letter to Hadju by the MPs or if a requested meeting took place, added David Parks, director of planning, economic development and transit.
The letter was signed by Barrie-Innisfil MP John Brassard, Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte MP Doug Shipley, Simcoe North MP Bruce Stanton, York-Simcoe MP Scot Davidson and Simcoe-Grey MP Terry Dowdall.
When reached for comment on Wednesday, MP Dowdall said the MPs had not yet received a response to the letter from Hadju.
Springwater Township Mayor Don Allen expressed frustration at the response from Health Canada officials on the issue.
“(They) seemed to come back and rebut or give a position saying all is good and was under control. But, we’ve seen a different scenario in practice. I think (they) need to be held to account for (the) response and to say no, it’s not quite as you reflect and here are the problems,” he said.
Severn Township Mayor Mike Burkett felt that effort would be in vain, adding Health Canada officials are not the ones in charge.
“The ruling has to be made on that house floor in Ottawa. The MPs need to change the law. That is the only way any of us are going to be able to do anything with these grow ops that are happening in our communities,” he said.
Cannabis is taking on more of a shape than some may believe, added Oro-Medonte Mayor Harry Hughes.
“We have a situation in Oro-Medonte where a licence has been given to medical hemp, which is really cannabis. The situation we have is we have 250 acres of what is being grown under the guise of medical hemp being grown right next to a residential community,” he said, adding the township has been actively trying to do something about it.
“This has been planted and is growing completely in contravention to our bylaws. We have gone to the county a number of times and what we have heard already in the discussions that have taken place is it doesn’t matter what letters get read, there’s not really going to be any action taken by any of the officials,” he said.
It’s not a matter of the rules having to be changed but rather a matter of the rules actually being enforced, he continued.
“The province’s position is it’s an agricultural crop and as such they don’t have any regulations like they would for some other noxious farming operations, being in proximity to residential areas. You sort of scratch your head and wonder, why wouldn’t they? It’s a noxious crop,” said Hughes.
“I don’t see any relief coming to the situation Oro-Medonte has and quite frankly, unless something is done, every municipality in Simcoe County is going to be (in) the same situation.”
Hughes also questioned if county staff would be able to investigate whether there was a different role the county could play beyond sending the proposed letter, to which staff agreed to look into and report back to council at a later date.
