A stench emanating from a medical marijuana facility in northwest London is drawing the ire of neighbouring business owners, with the local business improvement association saying it has heard from more than a quarter of their members about the smell.
Donna Szpakowski, the general manager of the Hyde Park BIA, said one of those more than 100 complaints came from a business owner who was working in his office one day.
“He was sitting in his office — he’s rather close to this facility — (and) he could not continue working, eyes were watering. Despite the fact it’s not supposed to be harmful odors to us, he was still feeling physical effects.”
The building is off North Rutledge Park in an industrial area near Gainsborough and Hyde Park roads. It’s surrounded by other businesses and a residential area, where Szpakowski says some homeowners are worrying about dropping property values.
“We welcome this business into the Hyde Park BIA and into northwest London. It’s just the stench that the business is producing, we feel, needs to be brought under control as per legislation surrounding licensed marijuana production facilities.
It’s up to Health Canada to control, legislate, and investigate complaints about smell since the federal government handles licensing of such facilities. Szpakowski isn’t sure how many of the stakeholders she’s heard from have filed official complaints with Health Canada, but said she’ll have a better sense after a public meeting the BIA is holding on Friday at 4 p.m.
Liberal MP Kate Young and Ward 7 Coun. Josh Morgan are both planning to attend.
“I went out there myself to smell it, and it is a strong odor,” said Morgan, speaking with 980 CFPL’s The Craig Needles Show. He confirmed the facility is a legally operating medical marijuana facility, housed in the old Spencer Steel building.
“At certain times it smells exactly like cannabis, and other times it smells like more of an agricultural processing type smell. But there’s no doubt it is a cannabis production facility. Our staff have seen the plants, and they’ve seen the actual federal permit.”
Morgan is hoping Young will be able to provide more information from Health Canada at Friday’s meeting.
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