This life-sized Tyrannosaurus is a star attraction at Stan Pottie's upper Lantzville property. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Ian Holmes

court action

District of Lantzville argues popular dinosaur attraction is illegal

Aug 4, 2021 | 5:22 PM

LANTZVILLE — District officials in Lantzville have launched legal action against the owner of a Clark Rd. property, arguing it’s home to an illegal amusement park and cannabis dispensary.

A lawsuit filed by the District in BC Supreme Court in June cites zoning violations and right of way provisions on Stanley Pottie’s property, arguing a cannabis dispensary and amusement park is not permitted in its zoning bylaw.

The contested amusement park features large, life-sized dinosaurs which move their arms and growl. The dispensary on his upper Lantzville property, which backs onto Hwy. 19, isn’t licensed by the province’s Liquor Cannabis and Regulation branch.

Pottie filed a response one week after the initial notice of civil claim, saying he’d removed a fire truck and other items from the area known as the right of way. He also claimed his dinosaurs are on the lower half of the property away from contested areas.

“We are not running an amusement park and all signs have been removed,” Pottie wrote in his response to the District’s legal action.

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Pottie described the lawsuit as petty, malicious and “brought on with no clear law being broken.”

“No where [sic] is it written that my hobby of collecting dino stuff is against the law and allowing people (kids) to use my property to marvell [sic] the dino’s now up to 50 is some how unlawful.”

Several people including parents with children visited the dinosaurs on Wednesday, Aug. 4.

This is not the first time the District brought legal action against Pottie.

He was successfully sued by the District in 2018 for ignoring several land use bylaws, including having roughly a dozen RV’s on the property.

Pottie ignored a pair of subsequent BC Supreme Court rulings and was found in contempt of court, despite being issued a six month extension from a judge late in 2018 to address the property.

The land was finally cleared by the end of August, 2019., concluding a drawn-out legal battle.

The Lantzville-based construction contractor is regularly critical of District policies in social media posts.

He ran unsuccessfully to be mayor of the community in the 2018 municipal elections.

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ian@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes