Maple Ridge residents fed up with alleged odours coming from legal pot grow-op

Residents raise a stink over legal pot grow-op Some residents in Maple Ridge are raising a stink about a legal marijuana grow-op, saying there's a strong, bad smell in the area.

A group of residents in Maple Ridge, B.C. are calling on elected officials to take action against a legal marijuana grow-op they say is emitting a strong odour in their neighbourhood.

"It's just like a dead skunk. If you go along the road and somebody's run over a skunk, that's what it smells like," said Tom McLennan, who lives near Tantalus Labs' Lower Mainland facility.

McLennan and other residents say the smell coming from the grow-op is so bad at times that neighbours can't enjoy their properties.

"One woman is nauseated by it and she can't go outside," he said, "so it's very unpleasant."

"Sleeping in my bedroom, all of a sudden you wake up and there's this smell again," said Paul Doyle, who also lives in the area.

McLennan says he's been keeping track of resident complaints about the smell and says it's an ongoing issue.

Tantalus denies there is a problem.

Managing director Dan Sutton told CTV News in a written statement the company uses "cutting-edge odour filtration technology and one only needs to stand close to our facility to confirm that this mandatory infrastructure is functioning effectively."

"There is no cannabis odour detectable from outside the Tantalus Labs production side," Sutton added. "We have not been apprised of any odour complaints from the bylaw officers of the City of Maple Ridge at this time.”

Residents say they've taken their concerns to all levels of government, but neither municipal, provincial, or federal officials seem to be listening.

No one from the City of Maple Ridge was available for comment Friday, but the province said these kinds of conflicts are simply part of the growing pains associated with the pot industry.

"There's always going to be that conflict as the cannabis industry grows," said Minister of Agriculture Lana Popham. "We will have to deal with that."

McLennan, Doyle and others living in the area, however, say they want the problem to be dealt with now, adding that they're tired of Tantalus being what they called a bad neighbour.

With files from CTV Vancouver's Michele Brunoro