Hamilton Liberal MPP Ted McMeekin said he would be willing to look at limiting where large marijuana grow-ops can be located in rural areas.
McMeekin said when he was the former provincial agricultural minister he opposed industrial-size greenhouses occupying prime farmland. He said most of the proposed marijuana grow-ops use greenhouses.
“You shouldn’t be building greenhouses on class 1 agriculture land,” said McMeekin. “You should do it on class three or four land where you can’t grow anything.”
He suggested these industrial-size greenhouses would be better located in northern Ontario, “which could use the jobs and economic development.”
Statistics Canada reported that during a five-year period between 2006 and 2011 nearly 260,000 hectares of farmland was lost.
Only one per cent of all farmland in Canada is rated Class 1, the most productive agricultural land available.
The Ontario government introduced the Greenbelt legislation in 2005 to protect 720,000 hectares of land surrounding the Greater Toronto Area and lands adjacent to the Niagara Escarpment.
McMeekin’s comments come in the wake of Ancaster Coun. Lloyd Ferguson proposing city planning staff review how to limit marijuana grow-ops in the rural area. His motion, introduced at the Oct. 11 council meeting, but delayed for a month, would also request the province to examine establishing stricter rules for grow-ops.
Ferguson said he and the city’s planning department have been receiving proposals to build what he describes as “concrete bunkers” to grow marijuana in the rural area. The city’s rural official plan limits the medicinal marijuana grow-ops to 2,000 square metres.
“(Marijuana companies) are not respecting (the planning guidelines),” said Ferguson. “They are coming in with applications up to 75 acres, 200 acres. This is a ballooning issue.
“I can’t see the province supporting carving up the Greenbelt with bunker buildings,” he said.
McMeekin said both the federal government, which has announced it will legalize recreational marijuana by or before July 1, 2018, and the provincial government need to “make some decisions” on the issue.
He acknowledged the marijuana industry is growing, with even Mayor Fred Eisenberger announcing he and his family investing in a licensed medical marijuana company.
McMeekin said a recent poll by Campaign Research revealed the majority of people support the legalization of marijuana, but in the same poll the public wants the government to provide some sort of control of the substance.
“Our job as the province is to regulate,” said McMeekin. “We are open to having municipal partners assist in that.”
He lamented the legalization of marijuana has been a challenging issue, but he acknowledges the federal government in 2015 campaigned on the de-criminalization of pot.
“Sometimes I wish we had left it alone,” he said.
Hamilton Liberal MPP Ted McMeekin said he would be willing to look at limiting where large marijuana grow-ops can be located in rural areas.
McMeekin said when he was the former provincial agricultural minister he opposed industrial-size greenhouses occupying prime farmland. He said most of the proposed marijuana grow-ops use greenhouses.
“You shouldn’t be building greenhouses on class 1 agriculture land,” said McMeekin. “You should do it on class three or four land where you can’t grow anything.”
He suggested these industrial-size greenhouses would be better located in northern Ontario, “which could use the jobs and economic development.”
Statistics Canada reported that during a five-year period between 2006 and 2011 nearly 260,000 hectares of farmland was lost.
Only one per cent of all farmland in Canada is rated Class 1, the most productive agricultural land available.
The Ontario government introduced the Greenbelt legislation in 2005 to protect 720,000 hectares of land surrounding the Greater Toronto Area and lands adjacent to the Niagara Escarpment.
McMeekin’s comments come in the wake of Ancaster Coun. Lloyd Ferguson proposing city planning staff review how to limit marijuana grow-ops in the rural area. His motion, introduced at the Oct. 11 council meeting, but delayed for a month, would also request the province to examine establishing stricter rules for grow-ops.
Ferguson said he and the city’s planning department have been receiving proposals to build what he describes as “concrete bunkers” to grow marijuana in the rural area. The city’s rural official plan limits the medicinal marijuana grow-ops to 2,000 square metres.
“(Marijuana companies) are not respecting (the planning guidelines),” said Ferguson. “They are coming in with applications up to 75 acres, 200 acres. This is a ballooning issue.
“I can’t see the province supporting carving up the Greenbelt with bunker buildings,” he said.
McMeekin said both the federal government, which has announced it will legalize recreational marijuana by or before July 1, 2018, and the provincial government need to “make some decisions” on the issue.
He acknowledged the marijuana industry is growing, with even Mayor Fred Eisenberger announcing he and his family investing in a licensed medical marijuana company.
McMeekin said a recent poll by Campaign Research revealed the majority of people support the legalization of marijuana, but in the same poll the public wants the government to provide some sort of control of the substance.
“Our job as the province is to regulate,” said McMeekin. “We are open to having municipal partners assist in that.”
He lamented the legalization of marijuana has been a challenging issue, but he acknowledges the federal government in 2015 campaigned on the de-criminalization of pot.
“Sometimes I wish we had left it alone,” he said.
Hamilton Liberal MPP Ted McMeekin said he would be willing to look at limiting where large marijuana grow-ops can be located in rural areas.
McMeekin said when he was the former provincial agricultural minister he opposed industrial-size greenhouses occupying prime farmland. He said most of the proposed marijuana grow-ops use greenhouses.
“You shouldn’t be building greenhouses on class 1 agriculture land,” said McMeekin. “You should do it on class three or four land where you can’t grow anything.”
He suggested these industrial-size greenhouses would be better located in northern Ontario, “which could use the jobs and economic development.”
Statistics Canada reported that during a five-year period between 2006 and 2011 nearly 260,000 hectares of farmland was lost.
Only one per cent of all farmland in Canada is rated Class 1, the most productive agricultural land available.
The Ontario government introduced the Greenbelt legislation in 2005 to protect 720,000 hectares of land surrounding the Greater Toronto Area and lands adjacent to the Niagara Escarpment.
McMeekin’s comments come in the wake of Ancaster Coun. Lloyd Ferguson proposing city planning staff review how to limit marijuana grow-ops in the rural area. His motion, introduced at the Oct. 11 council meeting, but delayed for a month, would also request the province to examine establishing stricter rules for grow-ops.
Ferguson said he and the city’s planning department have been receiving proposals to build what he describes as “concrete bunkers” to grow marijuana in the rural area. The city’s rural official plan limits the medicinal marijuana grow-ops to 2,000 square metres.
“(Marijuana companies) are not respecting (the planning guidelines),” said Ferguson. “They are coming in with applications up to 75 acres, 200 acres. This is a ballooning issue.
“I can’t see the province supporting carving up the Greenbelt with bunker buildings,” he said.
McMeekin said both the federal government, which has announced it will legalize recreational marijuana by or before July 1, 2018, and the provincial government need to “make some decisions” on the issue.
He acknowledged the marijuana industry is growing, with even Mayor Fred Eisenberger announcing he and his family investing in a licensed medical marijuana company.
McMeekin said a recent poll by Campaign Research revealed the majority of people support the legalization of marijuana, but in the same poll the public wants the government to provide some sort of control of the substance.
“Our job as the province is to regulate,” said McMeekin. “We are open to having municipal partners assist in that.”
He lamented the legalization of marijuana has been a challenging issue, but he acknowledges the federal government in 2015 campaigned on the de-criminalization of pot.
“Sometimes I wish we had left it alone,” he said.