KERR STREET METHADONE CLINIC UPSETS RESIDENTS

It's The Right Business, But The Wrong Location.

This is what some residents in the Kerr and Rebecca Street area are
saying about a privately-owned Methadone Maintenance Treatment (MMT)
Centre expected to open at 143 Kerr St. in late September or early
October.

The clinic, which will treat Halton residents with addictions to
illegal drugs such as heroin and brand-name drugs such as Dilaudid,
Percodan, Demerol, OxyContin and Percocet, drew considerable
attention, when its upcoming arrival was recently announced in The
Oakville Beaver.

News of this development has angered many in the West River Residents'
Association (WRRA), West Harbour Residents' Association and West Kerr
Village Residents' Association. They acknowledge that there is a need
for such a facility in Halton, but believe its Kerr Street location is
all wrong.

"Perception is reality," said Chris Kowalchuk, president of the WRRA.
"Just the fact that there was a headline in The Oakville Beaver that
there is a methadone treatment clinic coming to Kerr Street as a 'fait
accompli.' It set Kerr Street back two years in terms of raising
itself above that."

Kowalchuk said when he moved to Oakville in the late 1970s, Kerr
Street was one of the worst parts of Oakville and it was only through
excruciating hard work that the community was transformed into the
revitalized business hub it is today.

The arrival of a methadone clinic can only damage this progress, said
Kowalchuk.

"It's in the wrong location. It's on the main street of a revitalized
business district that for years has been the dumping ground for
social services in this town. It's next to a licenced establishment,
next to a store that sells marijuana paraphernalia and up from the
Beer Store," said Kowalchuk.

"When my daughter goes down to catch the bus at 8 a. m. there may be
people lining up before it (the clinic) opens."

Kowalchuk is also unhappy about the way he said he was blindsided by
the clinic's impending arrival, which was preceded by no community
consultation.

Kowalchuk said some only found out the clinic was coming when they
read about it in the paper while others did not find out until even
later.

At the end of the day, Kowalchuk and the other area residents'
association leaders would like to see community consultations
established to examine the possibility of moving the clinic to a more
suitable location.

"Just because the gentleman who wants to open it found a willing
landlord doesn't mean that's the best place," said Kowalchuk. "There's
got to be somewhere better."

Kowalchuk did not object to the idea of the clinic being repositioned
somewhere else within the immediate neighbourhood.

George Benakopoulos, the owner of the Kerr Street MMT Centre, however,
noted that the location of the clinic is ideal given the needs of its
clientele.

"Kerr Street wasn't picked because I'm trying to single-handedly wreck
the progress made at Kerr Street," said Benakopoulos. "The decision
was made strictly in consultation with a physician and was made
because it offered good accessibility for patients. It's on a good bus
route and it can be accessed easily by a car as well. Also the rent
was the best."

Benakopoulos said easy access to the clinic encourages patients to
stick with their treatment.

He said the majority of the feedback he has received about the clinic
to date has been positive, with several residents dropping by the Kerr
Street location and telling him to essentially 'hang in there.'
Benakopoulos continues to be mystified by the problem some people have
with what he is doing.

"This is no different than having a doctor's office open up. The
bottom line is we're here to help people with their addictions. We're
here to promote and encourage treatment," said Benakopoulos. "We're
here to get people's lives back on track. These are patients at the
end of the day, they're people and they shouldn't be treated
differently from anybody else."

Kowalchuk said it is easy for Benakopoulos and others to be noble
about the clinic, especially when they don't have businesses or homes
in the immediate area.

Although the WRRA is in consultation with both the Town and the Halton
Region's Health Department about this issue, because the clinic is
privately owned their options are limited.

In a written statement to The Oakville Beaver, Ward 2 Councillor Cathy
Duddeck noted that the Town is not responsible for the licencing of
MMT Centres, with that duty falling under the jurisdiction of the
College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario.

Duddeck said the only process the Town goes through with these types
of clinics is through an occupancy permit or a building permit
application.

"To obtain an occupancy permit, the applicant much comply with the
zoning - in this case the Town staff have advised that this does
comply with the zoning," said Duddeck. "According to Building staff,
no building permit has been applied for on this site."

A building permit would be required if the owner intended to make any
structural changes to the building.

On the issue of the clinic itself, Duddeck said the concerns of the
public are perfectly understandable.

"The Kerr community has undergone considerable advancements in
revitalizing the area through the combined hard work of the residents,
the Kerr BIA, etc. They have never been a NIMBY "not in my backyard"
community and I take exception with any such portrayal of this caring
community," said Duddeck.

"The community has legitimate concerns and questions that as yet have
gone unanswered - information has not been forthcoming and as a result
there is conflicting information being circulated."

Kowalchuk noted there is no shortage of interest surrounding the
clinic issue with residents' groups still trying to formulate a
strategy to prevent it from opening at its Kerr Street location.