Cannabis grow operation in Six Nations sparks concern in community

Candace Maracle · CBC News

· Posted: May 30, 2025 3:01 PM EDT | Last Updated: 5 hours ago

A cannabis turn operation's proximity to Six Nations' downtown and its potential environmental impacts is causing interest with immoderate neighbours.

Nancy Porter lives with her 82 year-old parent on property that's been successful their family for generations.

Their backyard platform overlooks a three-metre gangly berm made of dirt. Behind it are 55-plus greenhouses that person been erected implicit the past fewer months.

"It's a 60-70 acre [24-28 hectare] field, unfastened tract and you're inactive putting much in," she said of the ongoing project.

The Six Nations Cannabis Commission (SNCC) was established successful 2019 to modulate cannabis businesses connected Six Nations of the Grand River, adjacent Hamilton, Ont.

According to the application process on the commission's website, there is simply a 15-day public notice play during which the applicant "must station a placard successful a conspicuous determination connected the projected property" and notices would be circulated "to residents successful adjacent proximity to the projected tract to elicit responses supporting oregon opposing the project."

Porter said she was ne'er informed anterior to the commencement of the project.

 "Why was cipher told? Why could we not, you know, code our concerns past earlier everything started?" she said.

An online petition is calling for the committee to revoke the project's licence, citing the operation's proximity to downtown Ohsweken, arsenic good arsenic a daycare, schools, and Iroquois Lodge, a semipermanent attraction installation for elders, arsenic good arsenic biology concerns.

"My question each on was 'How tin this happen?" said Porter.

Porter said she's been trying to get answers for the past year from Six Nations Elected Council and the SNCC. Other acrophobic assemblage members person been organizing protests and neighbourhood meetings to voice their grievances implicit the operation.

An biology tract appraisal is besides listed arsenic portion of the exertion process.

"There was ne'er immoderate biology survey done connected it; that was confirmed successful the committee gathering erstwhile I went with my concerns," Porter said of a SNCC gathering she attended successful July 2024.

In summation to the sound caused by transport trucks and different ample vehicles driving up and down the laneway adjacent to hers, Porter said her spot has incurred flooding arsenic a effect of the berm.

Porter said construction blocked a earthy waterway down her spot which resulted successful important flooding twice over the past year. This outpouring she said it astir reached the tile furniture of their septic strategy which is conscionable six oregon 7 metres from their home.

Porter said 1 of the workers came and dug a tiny ditch adjacent to the berm which allowed the h2o to drain from her spot but she wondered whether it was a imperishable solution.

She and her neighbours are besides worried about imaginable contamination of the ungraded and groundwater due to the fact that they person cisterns and a well.

Commission says it is ensuring compliance

In a May 1 connection posted to its website and Facebook, SNCC said neighbours in the country had contacted the committee to stock their concerns.

"Legacy Farms has made respective accommodations to code these concerns wherever possible," the connection said.

"The Six Nations Cannabis Commission volition proceed to guarantee compliance with the Six Nations Cannabis Law and assemblage safety."

The connection said the committee had been informed "the cultivation cognition volition beryllium conducted supra crushed successful pots, which limits chemicals leaching into the groundwater. The pesticides projected for usage are regulated by Health Canada and are little harmful than those utilized successful rootlike plants."

CBC Indigenous was incapable to scope anyone from the SNCC despite respective attempts. The telephone fig listed connected the website is incorrect; emails submitted via website form and sent to their wide inbox were not responded to by clip of publishing. CBC Indigenous besides reached retired to 1 of the commissioners listed connected the website but did not person a effect by clip of publishing.

The May 1 connection said the committee was successful the process of reorganization. According to the website, three retired of 5 cannabis commissioner positions are vacant. 

CBC Indigenous besides attempted to reach Legacy Farms, including the owner named connected the licence, but did not person remark by the clip of publishing. 

Elected assembly seeks ineligible advice

Porter besides said she's seen non-band members living on the premises, which would beryllium against the community's laws. The petition besides cited the aforesaid issue. 

In its May 1 statement, SNCC said it had "conducted a thorough inspection of the premises and tin corroborate that determination are nary non-band members residing connected the property. The installation does not person immoderate surviving quarters; however, employees who enactment 12-hour shifts person entree to cooking and ablution facilities."

Six Nations of the Grand River Elected Council issued a connection May 16 acknowledging "the seriousness of the concerns shared by our assemblage regarding outdoor increasing of cannabis. As always, the wellness and information of the assemblage is paramount."

"As portion of our owed diligence, SNGREC has sought ineligible proposal connected options to remedy and/or mitigate the existent issues."

Darrien Bomberry, nationalist relations co-ordinator for Six Nations of the Grand River Elected Council, said they are presently "waiting for ineligible advice, truthful determination is thing further to stock astatine this time."