RESIDENTS OUTRAGED OVER LOCATION OF PAIN CLINIC

Protest Staged Tuesday

Aldershot residents remain fearful that a pain management clinic
offering methadone treatments will attract dangerous drug addicts and
traffickers - despite assurances from the owner that it won't.

Anywhere else but here, a crowd of about 150 Aldershot residents
repeatedly drummed into Peggi DeGroote's ears on Saturday afternoon
during a public information meeting held at East Plains Church.

They want her to break the 10- year-lease she signed to establish a
practice at 444 Plains Rd. E. The clinic, called Wellbeings, is slated
to open in late October.

"If I had heard the things you've been hearing I would be equally as
angry and fearful," said DeGroote. "You haven't got the right
information. We are not opening a methadone clinic."

She said 98 to 99 per cent of patients would be treated for chronic
pain and addiction to prescription drugs, such as OxyContin or
Percocet. One per cent or less will be dealing with heroin addiction,
she predicted.

DeGroote took questions from the audience but did not answer them -
preferring to channel them to an expert associated with the clinic.
The replies will be available at another public meeting, slated for 7
p. m. on Monday, Sept. 21 at St. Matthew's Church, Parish Hall, 126
Plains. Rd. W. Residents also lambasted the area's councillor Rick
Craven, who was present, Burlington MPP Joyce Savoline, and city staff
for not alerting them in advance to the application.

"The community should have been consulted long before it went in,"
said Scott Dobson, who is spearheading a campaign to move the clinic
out of his neighbourhood. "Speaking on behalf of residents in
Aldershot, we feel extremely let down by the city in this matter."

Medical clinics are allowed on this stretch of Plains Road, Craven
replied. It's the city's job to deal with land issues, not to define
the types of customers allowed in each business, he added.

"If I had the authority to get rid of businesses I don't like, don't
you think I would have gotten rid of (strip club) Solid Gold long
ago," said Craven.

Mayor Cam Jackson, who also attended the meeting, said city planning
staff should have alerted council on such a "volatile" issue back in
May, when DeGroote first made an inquiry about the clinic.

"This upset could have been avoided if public consultations had been
done in advance," said Jackson.

He assured the crowd that he would find out if the lease can be broken
and promised to organize a public meeting of his own this month to
present research on what other communities with similar clinics have
done, such as community safety committees.

Tina Doane respects the need for the clinic but objects to it being
near Maplehurst Public School. The clinic is located just west of the
school, on the south side of Plains Road.

"Let's not be naive and think it's riff raff. It may be doctors and
lawyers too, but I agree that no child should see the type of
individual that comes to this clinic."

Bob Brown worries the motels in the area will be filled with patients
rooming there to eliminate the commute to receive regular treatments.

Krina Potma, agrees people with chronic pain and addictions don't have
enough support but there are appropriate places for it. "Put them
where they don't feel like people are looking at them and judging them."

Heather Pietrantonio considers herself neutral in the issue and urged
for open-minds and education. "There are probably people going into
the local drug store getting methadone as it is now and we don't know
it."

According to a 2008 Halton Region Methadone Maintenance Treatment
Community Working Group report, locally there are 450-900 potential
methadone patients. Currently 281 residents are registered with MMT
programs outside the region.