DRUG REHABILITATION CENTRE PLANNED ACROSS STREET FROM GALT
COLLEGIATE

CAMBRIDGE - Neighbours are worried about plans for a private drug
rehabilitation centre in a big stone house overlooking Galt Collegiate
Institute.

Hatts Off has applied to the city for permission to use the vacant
building on Water Street as an upscale treatment centre, where 10 male
clients would each pay $10,000 a month to battle their addictions.
Previously, the building housed a spa. Before that, it was an
accounting office.

A flyer was delivered to neighbours this week, explaining how
"Caverhill Manor" won't be a stereotypical downtown drug rehab centre,
something that's a magnet for community headaches.

Proponents invite residents to an information meeting Oct. 28 at 7
p.m. in the Manchester Public School gymnasium, to hear details about
their plans and answer questions.

"It's not in any way good for the neighbourhood," said Bill Barlow, of
Haddington Street. "This is a residential area, not an institutional
area."

Barlow, a former Cambridge MPP, doesn't believe the rehab centre will
only treat well-to-do, well-behaved patients. Neither does Jacqueline
Mantle, of Water Street.

"I think it should be in the downtown area, it shouldn't be in this
area," she said. "It should be downtown where all the support agencies
are."

Over the years, children have been welcome to play in the grounds
around the house. Mantle said her nine-year-old son won't be allowed
to toboggan there any more if a drug rehab centre moves in. "It will
be all crackheads."

There has already been kitchen-table meetings of neighbours and talk
of petitions to city council opposing the plan.

Hatts Off officials have met with Galt Collegiate Institute officials
to explain their plans. Naylor said the school expressed concerns.
School officials weren't available for comment yesterday.

Not everyone opposes the treatment centre. Kelsey Muchin of Haddington
Street said the old building is falling apart and thought the proposal
a good one for the prominent property.

"It's not a crisis centre, it's not an addiction facility for just
anyone who just walks in to be treated," said Gordon Naylor, one of
the owners of Hatts Off.

"It's more likely to serve professionals and other clients who are
serious about their problems."

Many people have misconceptions about drug treatment programs, he
said. What's planned in Cambridge is a home for "motivated people" to
go after referral from a family doctor, counsellor or employee
assistance plan, Nayor said.

Treatment in a supportive, established residential area is key to the
"community therapeutic model" where clients support each other under
the watch of professional staff running health and wellness programs.
Few renovations will be needed; it's not going to be a jail. If
clients want to go out for a walk or participate in a community event,
someone will accompany them, Naylor said.

"This is a costly program for people to commit to. We need a nice
location and this is a very beautiful location," Naylor said."

"I'm very committed this program is not in any way going to adversely
affect the neighbourhood, but will improve the community."

Hatts Off was founded in 1985 and is based in Dundas. It in operates
about 200 treatment beds in communities across southern Ontario,
Naylor said. The closest operations are in Kitchener, where treatment
homes for abused youth are run under contract to children's aid
societies. In the Hamilton-Burlington area, Hatts Off runs youth
foster homes, too. The company doesn't operate an adult facility as
proposed in Cambridge anywhere else.

The building already has city zoning to be used as a house, or
commercial operations - which includes operations like dentist and
medical clinics.

City planning commissioner Janet Babcock said a specific "drug
rehabilitation centre" zoning doesn't exist in the city's planning
rule book. So Hatt's Off has asked the city to add a new definition to
the existing, similar commercial uses already permitted there.

After the community meeting at Manchester school, the rezoning
application is tentatively scheduled for a formal public meeting at
city hall Nov. 30. A few months later, city council will consider a
recommendation from city staff on the issue.