Blake Ellis/Local Journalism Initiative

An Enniskillen man is concerned township council did not see all the information it needed to deal
with new zoning rules for cannabis operations.

The Independent reported earlier this month, a letter addressed to Enniskillen Mayor Kevin Marriott was mailed to the municipal office in June 2023, months before the township dealt with zoning changes aimed at reducing odour and light issues around cannabis greenhouse operations.

When the decision on the zoning changes were made, council members were still not aware of a letter from Cannim Canada saying it was applying for a license to grow cannabis in the Lasalle Line greenhouse which had been home to High Park Farms.

The letter came to light during a Freedom of Information request to both Enniskillen Townshiip and the County of Lambton.

Marriott told The Independent he had not seen the letter, adding the clerk who is in charge of correspondence, should not face any sanctions even though the letter was withheld.
Feb. 20, Trevor Brand said “this information was relevant to ongoing decisions by the council and even if the information may not have influenced council’s decision making, it does not justify the fact that it
was withheld. What else over the years had been hidden from the council that could have affected decisions?”

The clerk said little. However Marriott replied angrily “We won’t respond to some-
thing that’s based on a one-sided and biased newspaper story.”

Brand says he’ll take the issue to the Integrity Commissioner or the Ontario Ombudsman.