Will there be a safe solution?

Cambridge slaps ban on injection sites in the cores

CAMBRIDGE — Cambridge has passed a temporary bylaw banning injection sites — both permanent and temporary ones — from the city’s three core areas.

The unprecedented move at a meeting Tuesday night came hours after regional councillors shelved a motion by Cambridge Mayor Doug Craig to exclude the three core areas as possible locations.

But Coun. Frank Monteiro says the interim bylaw was in the works last week and was not the direct result of being snubbed by the region.

“We are not circumventing anyone,” said Monteiro.

“It’s our job to protect our city. We have to look after our own,” he said. “We are not turning our backs on users, but we have to listen to our residents.”

Cambridge councillors also approved a measure to create a 500-metre buffer around the core areas. A consultant will be hired for $25,000 to examine the “buffer area.”

“We want to be transparent,” he said. Monteiro said he expects “fallout” from the region as a result of the bylaw banning injection sites in the core areas. The temporary bylaw exists for up to a year.

“We have to think of the users. People are dying and we want to help them,” he said. “But at the same time, it’s affecting businesses, families and the community.”

Regional Chair Ken Seiling was surprised by Cambridge council’s move.

“I’m disappointed that they went this route rather than go through the process,” Seiling said on Wednesday.

“I’m not sure where that takes us.”

He said regional council and staff clearly indicated they were working with all the cities to come up with solutions.

Seiling said there was a lot of goodwill at Tuesday’s morning’s regional council meeting toward Cambridge and a willingness to hear concerns expressed.

Rather than defeating Craig’s motion, councillors suggested and agreed to defer it until potential sites were identified.

“It was very conciliatory,” Seiling said.

Improperly-discarded needles and public drug use is a problem in the city, and that will continue without a supervised injection site, he said.

“Then there is no solution,” he said.

Seiling said the region will carry on and identify potential sites, although he’s not sure how it will move ahead in Cambridge with this newly-imposed ban.

“I think we wanted to have the flexibility to talk about all possibilities,” he said. “I hope the door isn’t being slammed on reasonable discussion.”

More than 200 people packed a public meeting about supervised injection sites at Cambridge City Hall last week, and 26 people shared their views.

Some were in favour, while others didn’t want a site in Cambridge, especially in the downtown Galt area.

“From everyone I’ve talked to, from people at the mall, in restaurants, at the grocery store, people don’t want it in the core,” Monteiro said.

Monteiro said council is focused on revitalizing the downtown Galt area.

Upcoming projects include the opening of the pedestrian bridge over the Grand River, the opening of the digital library in the former post office building, and the development of the Gaslight District.

“We have to be mindful of everyone involved,” Monteiro said.