CAMBRIDGE -- Councillors in Cambridge will continue to discuss two possible locations for a consumption and treatment services site in the city.
Staff narrowed down 25 options to two, located at 15 Easton St. and 8 Oxford St.
"One of the criteria from the provincial government, which again I am thinking is quite important, is that these sites are within about a 10 to 15 minute walk to kind of the red zone," Mayor Kathryn McGarry said. "A red zone is identified on a map as an area where most of the overdose calls for service come from."
Region of Waterloo Public Health identified downtown Galt as a red zone, since it had the highest concentration of emergency overdose calls.
Staff also recommended having the CTS site at least 200 metres away from residential areas. But, both proposed locations have homes a short distance away.
Some people living nearby said they aren't happy with the recommendations.
"There are children on this street, little children," one resident said. "I don't think that their parents should have to protect them from looking out their window even."
They said they weren't against the site, but wanted it to be farther away.
Bob Bedford, who lives in Cambridge, said he'd like to see the site near hospital clinics.
"There's too many houses here and too many people living with kids old enough to walk back and forth to school."
Cambridge officials said the Easton Street neighbourhood was rezoned as a business/residential area in 1985 and the homes have been grandfathered in.
"Should council decide to proceed with consultation on this potential location, these residents would most certainly be consulted and they will be contacted directly," a statement from the city said in part. "A report would then be brought back to council for consideration."
Councillors heard from several Cambridge residents during a meeting Tuesday night, the conversations mainly surrounding the concept of safe consumption.
“I used to feel that using substances for helping people is wrong, but I have learned over the last few years that we must help keep people alive while a the same time doing our best to help them engage and in wrap-around services for addiction, treatment, rehab, and mental health,” Cambridge resident Dr. Dan Clements said.
However, those against the idea say safe consumption is another word for enabling and they raised concerns about safety.
“The community has been very loud in Cambridge telling you that they don’t want a consumption site anywhere in Cambridge, not for the sake that it’s in their backyard, but they know what it’s going to do to people who are addicted,” Cambridge resident Kayla Andrade said.
Public consultations regarding the potential location of the site will start in April and last for several months.
