Parents fighting the opening this weekend of a safe injection site near their children's schools and daycares have hired high-profile lawyer Julius Grey.
The safe injection site at Spectre de rue - an outreach centre for drug users on Ontario St. in the Centre Sud district - is slated to open this Sunday.
Parents said the public consultations were incomplete and did not provide them with data about the number of users or any security measures.
Parent Christelle Perrine says they hope lawyer Julius Grey can help them reach a compromise on safe injection site. #CJAD pic.twitter.com/GWtqJlQrCD
— Shuyee Lee (@sleeCJAD) October 10, 2017
They said they want the site to move or change its hours, possibly between 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. when fewer children would be around the area. Parents say out of the three safe injection sites in the area, it's the only one open all day while the others are open mainly at night.
Parent Stéphanie Cohen says they're willing to compromise on hours of safe injection site but their concerns falling on deaf ears. #CJAD pic.twitter.com/BMFNVIgnuc
— Shuyee Lee (@sleeCJAD) October 10, 2017
Parents said they are concerned children will be in contact with drug users who may be in a state of crisis and who may become aggressive.
Parent Stéphanie Cohen says they hired lawyer Julius Grey out of desperation because no one is listening to them. #CJAD pic.twitter.com/l9LYhTXSyB
— Shuyee Lee (@sleeCJAD) October 10, 2017
Grey said if nothing changes, they will go to court to get the centre to halt operations, possibly through an injunction or a declaratory judgement.
Grey said the public consultations were not properly conducted and it's unreasonable to place such a site so close to schools and daycares.
Lawyer Julius Grey is giving officials a chance to compromise on how this safe injection site should operate. Otherwise court action. #CJAD pic.twitter.com/lXK8TSYOwc
— Shuyee Lee (@sleeCJAD) October 10, 2017
The local health and social services agency overseeing the site has said in the past that the intervention centre has been in the neighbourhood for over 20 years without incident and that three public consultations were held.