Odour a problem or not, go to meeting

There is no doubt, public meetings hosted by municipalities are normally pretty boring.
Yes, they are important often times, but boring just the same.
Next week, Town of Lincoln will host its first two of three open houses regarding its pending bylaw and Official Plan changes in response to ongoing and developing issues regarding cannabis production.
There are hundreds of homes affected by cannabis odours emanating from greenhouse production facilities.
There have been some issues with illegal grows and production beyond what has been licensed, but generally the serious and ongoing odour problems are wafting about from legal operations.
The more recent problems which have enveloped Jordan and Vineland have been well documented in our pages. For the most part, that situation was cleared up effectively and quickly as the location did not conform to the interim control bylaw which is in effect for a few more months.
This meeting is important for ALL, and if you think not, wait until a grower acquires a warehouse or property anywhere near your neighbourhood and see if you think it is important then.
The odour issue is powerful, penetrating and unrelenting if you are within an effected circumference.
You may not have a problem now, but one could pop up tomorrow…and just about anywhere.
This is another one of the problems with greenhouses being considered agricultural use. No doubt some are, but most, and certainly the weed production grows, are full-on manufacturing facilities.
We will continue to cover the issue, of course, and we will cover the open houses, but if I hear from residents complaining next year, my first question will be, “did you voice your concerns at the open houses last fall?”
And I will check with the Town, too. If you don’t turn out at one of the three sessions, your opinion will mean much less to me, honestly.
Residents cannot sit back on this one.
You have to get proactive, and be persistent. Not because Lincoln officials are being tardy or lackadaisical in their approach to the problem but because they will be powered by your responses.
Granted, you may not notice the skunky smell near your home, but I can just about guarantee every man, woman and child who has driven through or been a passenger in a vehicle which gets filled with that lovely odour in travels around the immediate area.
Along Hwy. 8, the services roads and along in-town streets it is almost unavoidable anymore. So, as I note, it may not be immediate to your home, but it could be, soon, and you may have absolutely NO say in the matter at that point.
If you cannot get to a meeting, submit a written response.
You will be glad you got informed.
* * * * * *
Monday at 6 p.m.
That is the final deadline for Hat Trick Hockey.
If you read the Page 3 story, you will have seen we cleared 450 for the early bird. That is an increase of nearly 30 per cent from last year and by far a record number, so we’ll see where this week takes us.
The office will be open Monday night right up to the 6 p.m. deadline so you can bring your entries right in the door. If you are dropping off in the evening, use the mail-slot. Please put your entry(ies) in an envelope or paper clip/staple your entry fee to your entry.
Any entries, mailed or otherwise, must be in our 1 Mountain St. office by the 6 p.m. deadline.
The first year I did Hat Trick at the old Independent we got 186 entries. It went up about 100 each season after and finally, in 2003, we clearly 1,000 for the first and only time.
The next season came the strike and that year there was no Stanley Cup winner…there was no season, in fact.
The season after that it was like starting over…we were back down to about 450 entries and fan interest in hockey was at an all-time low. Fans were not happy.
It took about five years before there was any bump at all and it started to come back in 2011. The next year, NewsNow was born, the contest came back to me, and it has been growing ever since.
This year, we have a shot at getting back to 1,000 and that would be awesome.
You cannot beat a 1-in-1,000 chance to win a trip to a Stanley Cup game for $5.
Good luck to all!