ENVIRONMENT. Since mid-August, an odor that resembles that of skunks but is actually that of a massive cannabis field has been bothering an entire residential area of Drummondville, including an elementary school.
On the morning of October 5, the principal of the school in Quatre-Vents on Rue Saint-Laurent had a worried look on her face and was particularly concerned about her headaches, which she said were caused by a cannabis plantation located west of Highway 55.
This plantation belongs to the Canna-Culture company. According to its website, it is “one of the largest Canadian agricultural lands in the organic certification process, prepared and safe for cannabis cultivation.” It operates 30 hectares of land as well as an indoor plantation. The company is in a rural area, but there is a large residential area directly across the highway.
“Nowadays we generally smell a little of manure coming from the fields on the other side of the highway, but nothing more,” says the director of the Aux Quatre-Vents school, Nathalie Melançon. But when I came to work in August, I noticed that there was a strange smell in the neighborhood, like a very strong skunk smell. I thought some juveniles had caught one or there was a nest somewhere, but it persisted. I had no idea there was a cannabis factory nearby. Only a little later an educator told us about the existence of this plantation. It’s not called the Quatre Vents School for nothing. The prevailing wind here is prevailing. It’s always windy and we can taste it.”
Ms. Melançon, who has been in office since 2019, says she feels “held hostage.” The Ministry of Education is forcing school management to open doors and windows to ventilate the schools, but the air outside currently smells anything but roses.
“As soon as you open a door, this smell comes in. I personally got headaches and the teachers told me about it too. Recently I even felt dizzy. “I thought I was developing labyrinthitis,” adds the director, wondering about the health impact of this situation.
When L’Express visited this school of 640 children, the smell of cannabis was omnipresent in the expansive corridor, the heart of the building.
Given the comments about headaches here and there, the principal sent an email to the Des Chênes School Service Center a few days ago to inform them of the situation.
“I wrote to my managing director and my material resources. I told them that we are experiencing an unpleasant and unusual situation in Quatre-Vents. No one noticed this foul smell and they came to see it. I don’t know what measures can be taken. We would have to check with the city. It’s really serious. “I find it strange that such a plantation is located near a school,” she emphasizes.
In 2022, an amount of $45,000 was invested to add an outdoor classroom to the schoolyard. Due to the smell, no teachers are currently using it despite the mild weather.
“The smell is everywhere”
Citizens living in the neighborhood also complain about the situation. This is the case of Frédéric Lepage, who leads power plant renovation projects at Hydro-Québec. He lives between Rue de la Commune and the JN Donais Funeral Center.
Map of the plantation and surrounding area. (Photo from Google Map)
“I’m not even close to 55 and the smell has been everywhere in the neighborhood since July. He says things have gotten worse since August. At first I didn’t turn it on, I was wondering what it was, but I figured it out while driving on the highway. I saw the plantation. I wonder if it could lower our property values. I also wonder to what extent a producer can have rights over citizens and how the process of issuing cannabis production permits works. Have we really measured the impact on surrounding citizens? Is this really the image the city wants? A city where weed smells everywhere!”
Looking for solutions
In response to our interview requests, Canna-Culture decided to respond via email. Co-founder Julie Faucher writes, “We are listening to citizens’ wishes and exploring solutions to alleviate this problem.” It should be noted that we are in an agricultural environment and have all the municipal, regional and federal regulations required for this type of farming Have permits and permits. It is important to understand that odors, like all odors in an agricultural environment, such as when spreading manure, are present over a period of 30 to 45 days. She added that she has never received a call about this issue in the last four years.
The Rue de la Commune neighborhood is essentially located between Boulevard Jean-De Brébeuf and Rue Saint-Damase in Drummondville.
Types of smells
A cannabis plant releases many odor-causing molecules as it grows from a young plant into a mature plant ready for harvest. According to Health Canada, the main molecules responsible for odors are called terpenes. They can sometimes be described as floral, fruity, earthy, smelly, hot or spicy.
Also read: Free reign for cannabis smells