Sechelt Fire Chief Bill Higgs has been campaigning for stiffer penalties for medicinal marijuana grow operations and took his message to the Sunshine Coast Regional District's (SCRD) July 4 policing meeting.
Higgs was not shy about soliciting support on Monday for proposed federal government regulation changes to medicinal marijuana grow-ops.
Proposed changes include preventing licensed growers from growing indoors, regular operation site inspections and growers registering their locations with police and fire departments -changes the Fire Chiefs' Association of British Columbia has already endorsed.
Higgs and his department have recently been called to fires at both legal and illegal grow-ops.
"There is no difference to us as far as a medical marijuana grow-op or someone doing it illegally in their basement. The same kinds of dangers are prevalent," said Higgs. "You used to have people growing plants in their basement. Now it's much more heinous, I suppose. Even for legal grow-ops. There's booby traps, there's electrical wiring, all sorts of issues there for first responders."
He said that ideally he would like to see medicinal grow-ops taken out of homes and put in a government facility or grown outside.
Members of the Sunshine Coast RCMP echoed Higgs' concerns at the meeting, saying organized crime can potentially exploit the current regulations surrounding medicinal marijuana operations.
Committee members engaged in the discussion, with Roberts Creek director Donna Shugar and other directors sharing concerns over the potential of commercially grown medicinal marijuana and ensuring prescribed users retain options in relation to cost while keeping the product organic.
Realizing the need for further discussion before taking their comments to the federal government, the matter was pushed to the upcoming SCRD community services committee meeting.
Highway safety
After two serious, recent accidents where Highway 101 meets Roberts Creek Road, Shugar discussed a call for improvements to the intersection.
The transportation advisory committee received a report at their July 4 meeting from Roberts Creek fire Chief Bruce Searle regarding the intersection.
Searle made several recommendations, including the need for the intersection's green light to stay on long enough to clear the traffic waiting on Roberts Creek Road.
Searle also called for the designation of a no-stopping zone in front of the fire department. Currently, vehicles queuing up for the light pose a problem for the fire department as they block firefighters from exiting the hall during an emergency response. Additionally, Searle said the intersection's vehicle sensor is not sensitive enough to register motorcycles, forcing them to either dismount to push the crosswalk signal or be forced to run the red light.
Shugar asked Don Legault, area manager for the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, for a report on Searle's concerns. Legault obliged, saying he has been made aware of several complaints.
An update is expected at a future meeting.
