Safer supply clinic concerning for Chinatown residents, councillor

CTV’s Kimberley Johnson on the safer supply clinic that has moved from one Ottawa neighbourhood to another.

A safer supply clinic that has upset residents in one Ottawa neighbourhood has now popped up in another.

The centre called Northwood Recovery moved from Wellington West and is now located near the corner of 30 Somerset St. W. and Rochester.

The centre’s website bills itself as a safer supply site that provides legal drugs, like methadone, to help with addiction – it also says it provides other added support services.

Liam Cleary says he witnessed a quick change since Northwood opened up in his neighbourhood.

“Just this morning, I saw a group of men smoking crack,” he told CTV News Ottawa Friday. “We found needles last night when I came home from work. Someone was blocking my way into the driveway.”

He says he’s seen open drug use before in his five years of living here. But he feels this is different.

“It’s very upsetting. It’s very intimidating,” he said. “I think that people are scared to live in the building and just walk around the neighborhood.”

Councillor Ariel Troster says she is a strong supporter of safer supply sites but has serious concerns about this particular clinic.

“For these kinds of clinics to be run properly, there needs to be hands-on support. There needs to be follow up, there needs to be security. And we have no evidence right now that that’s happening at the Northwood clinic,” she said. “So, I share my residents’ concerns.”

Northwood Recovery has not responded to a request for comment by publication.

The clinic was previously open in Hintonburg, but faced criticism after residents say they saw an increase in drug use in the area.

Troster says next week she will meet with Northwood Clinic officials, as well as Inner City Health, and will demand they follow Safe Supply Ottawa protocols.

“I hope that the doctor and the clinic will agree to follow the same protocols as the other clinics affiliated with Safe Supply Ottawa, but if they don’t, we will oppose this clinic because we don’t believe that the service that they’re providing is ethical. We don’t believe that it’s safe,” she said.