The police received an anonymous tip about a marihuana cultivation operation and conducted a warrantless perimeter search of the appellant's property, as well as a check of his computerized electrical consumption records.
Based on this information, they obtained a search warrant and discovered marihuana plants.
The Supreme Court of Canada held that while the warrantless perimeter search violated section 8 of the Charter, the check of the electrical records did not, as there was no reasonable expectation of privacy in those records.
The Court concluded that the search warrant was validly issued based on the tip and the electrical records, and that the evidence should not be excluded under section 24(2) of the Charter.
