Bright lights from legal Langley grow-op disruptive, say residents

Neighbours raise concerns about legal grow-op It's not what's being grown that's the issue, but the light that's emanating from the facility.

Residents near a recently-licensed legal marijuana grow-op in Langley are complaining that the bright lights coming from the facility are disruptive.

The greenhouses used to grow bell peppers until recently. But on Feb. 16, a joint venture between Canopy Growth and BC Tweed received its licence to convert the sprawling 30-acre facility to grow marijuana.

It's being touted by operators as the largest licensed cannabis production facility in the world. The companies shipped in more than 100,000 cannabis plant clones from Ontario, and it still has room for 200,000 more.

Residents say their problem isn't the pot itself, but the lights used to grow it.

"It's really disruptive," said resident Doug Bilesky. "It looks, like, nuclear. It's orange and glowing and then the whole sky lights up."

Images neighbours provided CTV News show a glow from the facility illuminating an otherwise dark night sky.

"It's practically daylight," said Michelle Nicholls. "I walk out of my barn to feed the animals at night and I don't need a flashlight."

Victor Krahn with BC Tweed told CTV News last weekend that the facility has black out shades, but residents say they don't seem to be working.

"Whatever shades they're using are either insufficient or not working at all," Nicholls said.

The operators did not respond to requests for comment from CTV on Sunday.

The Township of Langley said it's aware of the operation at the greenhouses, but said municipal bylaws are inapplicable since the facility has a valid licence from Health Canada.

Bilesky said the township has given residents a form they can submit complaints to. Whether anything can be done, though, remains uncertain.

"The operation itself is probably fine. I'm sure they're working with the local authorities on it," said Bilesky. "It's just the disruptive nature of it."

With a report from CTV Vancouver's Breanna Karstens-Smith