It's been just a little more than two years since Donna May, the mother of a dead drug addict, came to Ottawa to plead for a safe injection site in the nation's capital. Her message couldn't have been more clear or more heartbreaking. "Mine is a hard story to tell. If you have already formed an opinion, based on what you've been told, or educated by what your community leaders have guided you to believe, I used to be one of you," she said back in October 2013. [continues 597 words]
Apparently, being a city councillor means never being forced to say you're sorry. That was the message yesterday given to Russell Barth, who last summer e-mailed his councillor Gord Hunter, complaining he felt his human rights had been violated. Barth asked to meet with Hunter after he was told to stop smoking a joint outside a comedy bar. Barth was shocked at Hunter's reply last year, and looked to councillors yesterday to do something to Hunter for his "vitriolic" response. [continues 592 words]
As far as Mayor Bob Chiarelli is concerned, Ottawa is right in the middle of a health epidemic. With estimates of 5,000 street drug users in the city -- 80% of those infected with hepatitis C and 21% infected with HIV/AIDS -- the city can no longer ignore its escalating drug problem. "We became complacent. It got away from us and now we have to play catch-up," Chiarelli said. Following the divisive debate over the crack pipe program, the mayor did what he does best. [continues 562 words]
A city committee this week was told of the crack addict who wants nothing more than to take care of his health, like the hooker who really has a heart of gold. That little nugget came courtesy of Dr. Robert Cushman, the city's medical officer of health, who left no stone unturned in his quest to ensure the city continue funding the free crack pipe distribution program. Dr. Bobby, of course, is an old hand at theatrics. He tries the same act at least once a year when it comes time for council to decide on his department's budget, issuing dire warnings about what will become of us if we don't do what he says. [continues 580 words]
