Within a few blocks on Colborne Street in downtown Brantford, there are three methadone clinics.
The newest to open its doors is ACT, which is part of a chain stretching from Kingston to Kitchener.
Its medical director is Dr. Clement Sun, who estimates that 800 people in Brantford need methadone treatment, while only 500 actually receive it.
“If we don’t get the patients coming to us, nobody benefits,” he said in an interview.
Methadone is a synthetic drug, often used as a substitute for more dangerous substances like heroin, fentanyl and painkillers.
While methadone is addictive, it is not as harmful as street drugs – and can often be used to wean people off of other addictions.
Aaron Doyle went through that experience, using methadone to kick an addition to hydromorphone pills.
He remains a regular methadone user, and understands the role clinics play in drug addicts’ recoveries.
“They are pretty important,” he said.
While methadone clinics may be important for users, they’re also causing concern for other businesses in the downtown.
Keri Korfmann, the chair of the Downtown Brantford BIA, says business owners understand the importance of the clinics, they would like to see them less concentrated in the area.
“We feel that they should be spread throughout the city,” she said.
“We’re trying to gain a nice mixed use of business. Too many of anything is not a good thing.”
Specifically, Korfmann says, concerns have been raised by families using the Brantford Public Library branch located next door to ACT.
Business owners have also voiced concerns about methadone patients taking up parking spaces, and parking illegally.
Doyle says he understands the concerns.
“Some of the people that come around to the methadone clinics aren’t the savouriest people, so to speak,” he said.
Sun says he too understands where downtown business owners are coming from, but ultimately chose to locate in a central location with good transit access.
