There was widespread backlash after the mayor of Greater Sudbury, alongside several other Ontario mayors, urged Premier Doug Ford to invoke the notwithstanding clause to tackle homeless encampments.

The letter, signed by 13 mayors, details several demands, including authority to dismantle encampments, impose fines for trespassing, ban open drug use and impose involuntary drug rehabilitation and treatment. mental health. The letter comes as the unofficial number of homeless people in Sudbury reportedly reached 500, according to the city’s most recent “point-in-time” survey.

The letter was signed by Barrie Mayor Alex Nuttall, Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown, Brantford Mayor Ken Davis, Cambridge Mayor Jan Liggett, Chatham-Kent Mayor Darrin Canniff, Clarington Mayor Adrian Foster, Guelph Mayor Cam Guthrie, Oakville Mayor Rob Burton and Oshawa Mayor Dan. Carter, Pickering Mayor Kevin Ashe, St. Catharines Mayor Mat Siscoe, Sudbury Mayor Paul Lefebvre and Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens.

In an interview, Lefebvre maintained that current strategies are ineffective and that the City needs more tools to help people struggling with addiction.

“They look at us and say, help these people. When I tell them, well, I can’t do anything about it because they have the right to decide for themselves… well, they don’t have the ability to decide for themselves,” the mayor said.

“The Charter was never there to grant these types of rights to people who suffer from serious mental health addictions and who are clearly ill.”

Lefebvre added that invoking the notwithstanding clause is not about incarcerating people but about offering support.

The notwithstanding clause allows provincial legislatures to temporarily derogate from certain parts of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. However, several groups and residents have expressed concerns, saying there are other ways to resolve the issue without encroaching on basic rights.

Christopher Duncanson-Hales, a former candidate for Sudbury city council, instead suggested strengthening the existing Mental Health Act. Ontario’s Mental Health Act governs the assessment, treatment and care of people with mental health problems, balancing individual rights and the need for care, particularly when a person is not able to make decisions about their treatment.

“We have the Mental Health Act in place which addresses some of these issues, but it needs to be strengthened. It is therefore a legislative political response. Give the Mental Health Act what it needs to be able to help people who can’t make these efforts. decisions for themselves, who don’t have the capacity to make those decisions, it’s already there,” Duncanson-Hales said.

He says he experienced the opioid crisis when he lost his mother to an accidental overdose of OxyContin in 2004.

“When we target unhoused drug addicts, as the mayors are proposing, we truly distract from the real social problems facing our societies. The presence of encampments in our cities is not the root of the problem. It is a symptom of a deeper tear in our social fabric,” he said, suggesting the city should first focus on strengthening existing mental health and addiction support services, as well as creating more affordable housing and shelters.

“Houses, not handcuffs” campaign

This is something Black Lives Matter Sudbury agrees with.

The group launched a letter campaign called “Houses, Not Handcuffs” to oppose the use of the notwithstanding clause.

Black Lives Matter Sudbury is suggesting city council redirect the proposed $170 million budget for a new police station toward sustainable housing and critical mental health resources. More than 100 people signed the petition in less than 24 hours.

“A strong commitment to mental health care, substance abuse services and affordable housing is essential if we are to make meaningful progress. This approach aligns with the community-based solutions you mentioned, which seek to address the underlying causes of homelessness. funds, Greater Sudbury can create a more inclusive and supportive environment that protects the dignity and rights of all residents, while ensuring community safety in a sustainable and equitable manner,” the group wrote in a letter to the mayor.

Public Health Sudbury & Districts has proposed evidence-based solutions that challenge aspects of the mayor’s letter.

In a statement to CBC News, the public health unit wrote: “Addiction treatment experts around the world say a critical ingredient for success is a willingness to change. When people are forced into treatment against their will, it is unlikely to be successful. »

The public health unit also recommended programs that reduce stigma toward people facing mental health issues, addictions or homelessness. It calls for maintaining and expanding harm reduction policies and services as well as providing easily accessible treatment options.