Leamington Council Passes New Greenhouse Light Abatement By-Law

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Leamington Council passed a new a by-law requiring the abatement of interior greenhouse light.

On December 8th, 2020, Council passed the original by-law requiring the abatement of interior greenhouse light. Shortly thereafter, the Municipality received applications filed with the Normal Farm Practices Protection Board by several greenhouse owners seeking exemptions.

In June of 2022, officials say that most matters before the Board were resolved and Minutes of Settlement were executed by the parties that included changes to the provisions of the By-law. In order to have uniformity across the Municipality, Council repealed the old By-law 79-20 and enacted By-law 41-22 which includes provisions more in keeping with the manufacturer’s specifications for “blackout” curtains and also includes the following further provisions relating to greenhouse owners who use lights:

• Sidewall and endwall curtains must be installed and remain closed.
• Until the date that is the earlier of October 1, 2023, or the date that a greenhouse owner has installed all required curtains, lights may be on until 10pm.
• As of October 1st, 2023, ceiling curtains must be installed and closed in accordance with the provisions of the by-law.
• As of October 1st, 2022, greenhouse owners who have not installed ceiling curtains must provide proof of purchase of the same.
• The specific time of day for curtain closure is included rather than referring to sunrise and sunset.
• Specific times of day to allow for gapping of ceiling curtains, up to 10%, have been included.

“For Council, it was important to ensure a balance between supporting the economic growth from our greenhouse industry, and protecting the quality of life of our residents,” said Mayor Hilda MacDonald. “I believe this new By-law will allow us to accomplish that balance.