Future of Cambridge CTS site uncertain with newly elected council at the helm
The future of the consumption treatment services site (CTS) in the City of Cambridge could be in jeopardy with a new mayor and new councillors at the helm.
Adam Cooper, a newly elected Ward 6 councillor for the City of Cambridge, said it is time to readdress what is happening at the CTS site on Main Street.
It’s been a year since council voted to endorse bringing the consumption and treatment services site to 150 Main Street.
“It is a very divisive one within our community and I had high hopes that once we had put it to bed it would stay there,” said Donna Reid, Ward 1 Councilor for the City of Cambridge.
The AIDS Committee of Cambridge, Waterloo and Kitchener is spearheading the site’s application, and once it’s complete, it will be in the hands of the province for approval.
Reid said CTS sites like Kitchener’s have proven to save lives since it opened its doors three years ago.
According to the site’s online data dashboard, they have had more than 22,000 client visits with 819 overdoses reversed and no deaths on site.
“You can’t ignore those kinds of statistics, and we need to be saving the lives of our vulnerable people in Cambridge,” said Reid.
Reid said she was prepared to step up and fight to keep the CTS site as she has been a supporter of the treatment facility since the beginning.
Re-elected councillor Scott Hamilton also supports the CTS site and stressed that it is essential that council remember this is not a political issue, but a health issue.
“If we look to what every single health expert we’ve consulted has said, they’ve recommended a site is beneficial for Cambridge it will help clean up the cores and most importantly it will help save lives,” said Hamilton.
Despite the evidence of the success of CTS in Kitchener and other communities, Cooper said it has no place in the city.
“A greater focus on not enabling what is already killing them. We need more focus on a push towards abstinence in house, on-demand detox rehab facilities,” said Cooper.
It's unclear how much support Cooper will have at council.
Former mayor Kathryn McGarry was vocal in her support of a CTS site, but she was ousted by two-term councillor Jan Liggett who voted against the site at 150 Main Street.
In previous discussions on bringing the CTS site to Cambridge, mayoral elect Jan Liggett was open in her opposition.
The new Cambridge city council will meet for the first time in November, but it is unclear if or when this issue will come up.
CTV News Kitchener reached out to mayor-elect Liggett but did not receive a reply.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Signs of Alzheimer’s were everywhere. Then his brain improved
Blood biomarkers of telltale signs of early Alzheimer’s disease in the brain of his patient, 55-year-old entrepreneur Simon Nicholls, had all but disappeared in a mere 14 months.
Box tree moths have infested Ontario and experts say more are coming. Here's what to do to protect your garden
An invasive moth species is on the rise in Canada and, if you've planted a certain shrub, it could stand to ruin your garden.
Lyon-bound Air Canada Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner from Montreal turns back midflight due to pressurization alert
Passengers heading from Montreal to Lyon, France on Friday were forced to return home and depart the next day after a pressurization indication was detected in flight.
Oilers dominate Canucks, win to force deciding Game 7
The Edmonton Oilers avoided elimination from the NHL playoffs Saturday night, beating the visiting Vancouver Canucks 5-1 in Game 6 of their second-round series.
The eight most expensive homes for sale in Ottawa this spring
Ottawa's ultra luxury housing market is blooming like the tulips this spring, with a significant increase in the number of homes sold worth more than $2 million.
B.C. pipeline company argues its 'haulers' are not trucks, for tax purposes
A contractor working on the Coastal GasLink pipeline has been denied more than $333,000 worth of tax rebates because pieces of machinery it purchased – and claimed were not trucks – were deemed sufficiently truck-like in B.C. Supreme Court.
$500K-worth of elvers seized at Toronto airport
Fishery and border service officers seized more than 100 kilograms of unauthorized elvers at the Toronto Pearson International Airport on Wednesday.
Usyk beats Fury by split decision, becomes undisputed heavyweight champion
Oleksandr Usyk defeated Tyson Fury by split decision to become the first undisputed heavyweight boxing champion in 24 years.
To plant or not to plant? Gardening tips for May long weekend
May long weekend is finally here, and with the extra time off you may be getting the itch to head out to your garden and plant. However, the old debate whether you should plant now, or wait, is still ever-present.