MERCHANTS OPPOSE DRUG CLINIC

James Street North businesses already 'in the middle of crack city,'
councillors told

North End merchants want city hall to stop a drug abuse treatment centre
from opening on James Street North.

Crack heads, dealers, prostitutes and beggars are already driving away
customers and businesses, says Rev. Ronald Burridge.

The area doesn't need the problem of another clinic bringing more addicts
into the area.

"We are in the middle of crack city," said Burridge in an impassioned plea
to a city hall hearing sub-committee.

Burridge, president of the James Street North Merchants and Business
Association, said a private methadone clinic plans to open in a James Street
North discount store that's closing.

He said the area is saturated with treatment centres, including a methadone
clinic on John Street North, and a number of missions and hostels.

"We are not against helping people but help them in the right place," said
Burridge.

"We've got too much of one thing."

Drugs are readily available and dealers roam to tempt addicts, he said.

James Street merchants are investing to improve their businesses but also
fighting a tide of "scary" street people along with inadequate parking, said
Burridge, of the Temple of the Jewish Pentecost church.

City staff told councillors yesterday the clinic may come before council for
zoning approval because of concerns about parking.

Rhonda Daiter of Ontario Addiction Treatment Centres in Richmond Hill told
The Spectator yesterday the company is in the process of buying the building
for the clinic, which would offer treatment for a variety of opiate
addictions.

It operates 12 drug treatment clinics and a detox centre in Ontario and
deliberately chose a downtown Hamilton location.

Most patients need public transit or will have to walk to the clinic, she
said.

The company goes where need exists and there is a demand for treatment
facilities from the local medical community, said Daiter, director of
operations.

"That's where the patients are," she said, adding that neighbours are
usually aware of the clinics and there is typically no loitering or lineups.

"We've had no incidents in other locations," said Daiter, who said the
Newmarket clinic is next to a child centre. The company is upset that city
staff did not indicate parking would be an issue before the company entered
into an agreement to buy the building.

The company is not sure how many patients it would have, she said.

"The problem is greater than anybody knows. We tap maybe 10 per cent of the
entire addict population."

Ward 2 Councillor Andrea Horwath said there is sympathy for downtown
merchants because they are dealing with difficult problems that accompany
urban poverty.

Some street corners are plagued with drug problems, she said.

"Putting a cure in the area where temptation is the greatest doesn't make
much sense."

Burridge presented a petition and survey to councillors from merchants,
which indicated their business volumes are down 50 to 80 per cent because of
problems.

He said there was justification for putting a clinic in an area like
Ancaster because many addicts receiving methadone at the private John Street
clinic arrive by cab and appear well-off.

"Everybody on drugs isn't at the bottom of the pit," he said.

Methadone is used in treatment for painkiller and heroin addictions.

It is a long-lasting synthetic narcotic that removes physical cravings but
does not cause euphoric highs and subsequent lows.