PROVINCIAL COMMITTEE PASSES LAW AIMED AT CRIME HOUSES

Act Gives Authorities Power To Shut Down Nuisance Dwellings

A law designed by an Ottawa MPP to rid neighbourhoods of crack houses,
booze cans, brothels and marijuana grow-ops was suddenly given new
life Wednesday after opposition parties abandoned a filibuster and
allowed the legislation to pass through committee.

The Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act (SCAN), conceived by
Ottawa Centre MPP Yasir Naqvi, would give authorities the power to
shut down nuisance dwellings for up to 90 days.

The law is used in other Canadian jurisdictions and was prompted by
problems with crack houses in Ottawa's Hintonburg.

The bill was effectively killed in November after opposition
Conservatives and New Democrats staged a mini-filibuster at committee
hearings. But those opponents suddenly gave up their bid to scuttle
the bill Wednesday.

Although they voted against it, they allowed it to make it through
committee.

"I don't have a problem with the bill," said Garfield Dunlop,
Progressive Conservative community safety critic.

"However, it hasn't been a burning desire among my constituents or
even anyone campaigning for the bill. It's basically been unheard of."

New Democrat Peter Kormos said his colleagues are "interested in the
debate" surrounding the bill and "have sympathy for some of the issues
raised by Mr. Naqvi."

Kormos's colleague, Cheri DiNovo, who led the charge against the
legislation in November, when she worried about neighbours turning on
each other.

"The answer to criminal activity is not homelessness," she said at the
time. DiNovo was not available for comment Wednesday.

The SCAN law would allow municipalities to set up an administrative
office that would field anonymous complaints about problem dwellings.
They would have to show the property is being habitually used for drug
dealing, prostitution or other activities and that those activities
are harming the community.

If the problem cannot be solved, the city official would take the
complaint before a judge.

Similar legislation is in place in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Yukon, Nova
Scotia, Newfoundland and Alberta.