Ontario Tories would establish marijuana grow-op, meth lab registry
Ontario PC leader Tim Hudak said that if he is elected in the October provincial election, his party will establish a registry of homes used as meth labs and marijuana grow operations.
“Meth labs and grow ops pose a serious danger to the health and safety of homebuyers and their families, and they also threaten their pocketbook. Physical damage to a home caused by excessive moisture can lead to harmful chemical contamination (including dangerous vapours), and mould, and structural alterations and electrical rewiring that can cause fire. Often these homes receive cosmetic renovations to disguise their former, criminal use before they are sold to an unsuspecting buyer. The end result can be health and safety risks, especially to children, as well as extremely high costs to fix the problems and a loss of insurance for the property,” said a release posted on Hudak’s website.
In the absence of a provincial grow op and meth lab registry, several municipalities including Guelph, Durham, Ottawa, London and Niagara, have established their own local registries.
In a 2010 statement, the Ontario Real Estate Association voiced support for a provincial registry.
“Ontario Realtors are hindered by the lack of a central registry which is crucial to protecting homebuyers from the potential health and safety hazards of properties formerly used to manufacturer clandestine drugs,” the organization said.
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