Results: Princess Margaret pulls prize home from lottery over marijuana grow-op

The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation has pulled a prize home in Markham from its lottery after discovering that a neighbouring homeowner has a Health Canada licence to grow marijuana for personal consumption. The organization learned last Friday that the prize house, at 39 Jeffrey Nihda Crescent in Markham, was located on a street where there have been multiple complaints against the licensed grow-op. “The growing of a large number of plants in the house has resulted in an intrusive odour in the neighbourhood,” the foundation said in a news release. The foundation said the home, featured as one of its advertised properties in the spring 2016 Princess Margaret Cancer Centre Home Lottery, has been immediately withdrawn from the lottery and will no longer be open to the public for viewing. Instead, the foundation said it will replace the home with a cash prize of equivalent value: $1.285 million in cash, plus a bonus of $25,000 for a prize total of more than $1.3 million. “Naturally, we are very disappointed,” said foundation vice-president Christine Laksy. “We believe our decision is the most appropriate and responsible action.” The decision to withdraw the prize home came with full support from the property builders, Treasure Hill Homes, and with consultation from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, the licensing body that oversees charitable gaming in the province. “This is a very unique situation,” Laksy added. “Our number one priority is to our lottery supporters and this plan ensures our customers will receive the same great value for their ticket purchase and support.”