CITY NEEDLE PICK-UP PROGRAM TO INCREASE

Efforts to pick up discarded needles in Ottawa got at least a
$100,000 boost at city council last week. The city had originally
requested $200,000 of provincial money to increase efforts to
clean-up needles discarded by drug users on streets and in parks.

The needles are a danger for residents because of the potential of
transmittable diseases such as HIV. At the council meeting, deputy
city manager for community and protective services Steve Kanellakos
announced he had found $100,000 in his department's budget which
would be reallocated to the clean-up efforts.

The city will now ask the province to match the city's contribution.

"If the money is not matched, we'll do as much as we can with
$100,000," Kanellakos said.

Kanellakos found the money from the medical examiner's salary, which
is funded 75 per cent by the province. The one-time funding is just
for 2008, but Kanellakos said the city would continue to seek
increased provincial funding for 2009. The city currently has a
request for proposals for organizations to take on the contract to
pickup the needles, which will determine the funds needed to enhance
the program for 2009.