“Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow declined to endorse involuntary treatment, and instead said she will continue backing other methods, pointing to supportive housing models that also offer mental health and addiction services, like Dunn House.”
OTTAWA—The mayors of some of Ontario’s largest cities are pleading with the province to explore options for involuntary addiction treatment as a tool to fight the current homelessness and drug crisis.
“We need to not be afraid of having the difficult conversations,” said Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward, also chair of the Ontario’s Big City Mayors caucus, which represents 29 of the province’s largest municipalities.
“We are ready to have a conversation without prescribing what the outcome of that conversation will be,” she added, noting that provinces like Alberta have introduced involuntary treatment models that could be looked at.
