Neighbours concerned with look of new methadone clinic in Hamilton’s International Village

A new pharmacy that includes a methadone dispensary has opened in Hamilton's International Village, sparking yet another controversy surrounding opioid addiction services.

Only this time, one of the main concerns hinges on esthetics.

At this point, really, we don't want (the clinic) to move. We just want to be friends," said James Wilson, founder of Overdrive Design, an design firm located at 185 King St. E.

But we want him to redesign that sign."

The offending sign - primary red with the words addiction medicine program" on it - belongs to King Street Pharmacy, a new tenant of the commercial space at 189 King St. E.

Located between Mary Street and Walnut Street North, the business' sign identifies it as a pharmacy and recovery clinic. TrueNorth Medical Centres, which provides comprehensive addiction medicine services to individuals with opioid addictions in Ontario, lists it as a location on its website. According to the website, it began operating as a methadone clinic on June 8.

The owner of King Street Pharmacy, Amru Elsaigh, did not respond to The Spectator's requests for an interview. TrueNorth founder Chris Cavacuiti declined to be interviewed for the story.

Wilson is organizing a working group of stakeholders, including representation from the clinic, which he hopes will meet in the coming weeks.

For the most part, neighbours want the pharmacy to replace the sign with something more appropriate for the neighbourhood" - one that the community has been working hard to gentrify, Wilson said.

From a social planning perspective, the optics are bad, Wilson said.

Why would they open a recovery clinic, beside a place that sells bongs and says, Stay high, live high?'"

Neighbours' views differ - some want a sign change, others say they would prefer the clinic move to a side street - but there seems to be consensus that neighbours should have been consulted or, at the very least, notified.

It's happened overnight," said Pam Haines, a real estate investor from Toronto who purchased the building next door to the clinic in 2017. There was no consultation, and that's the frustrating thing."

Haines, whose day job is in public health, said she understands the need for addictions services, but said respect for those who live, work and invest in the neighbourhood is important.

I'm trying to protect my tenants and I'm trying to provide them with a safe zone, and that could affect my ability to get tenants in the future," she said. If it causes me problems and I'm losing money, then I'm not going to be keeping the building."

Peter DeSotto, who owns the buildings at 193 and 195 King St. E., said his tenants have expressed concerns - some even saying they want to leave - because of the clinic.

I know that we need to take care of people, and I know that these issues need to be addressed," said DeSotto, whose own businesses, Urban MAP, a building restoration and renovation company, and co-owner of Brothers Grimm Bistro, are located at 193 King St. E. But it's at the expense of everybody, and we have not be warned that this was coming in."

DeSotto - who says he has invest $5 million in the neighbourhood - had previously renovated a number of buildings in the block, including the building where the new clinic is located.

He said the city is afraid" to deal with it because it falls under the Ontario Human Rights Code.

It's an issue that affects every town in Canada, and no one's addressing it."

A number of cities in the province have attempted to impose regulations on methadone clinics, only to be stopped the Ontario Human Rights Code, which prohibits discrimination in services against people with disabilities, including addictions," according to a letter from the province's human rights commissioner to the City of Windsor in 2015.

It's more than just a perception of a human rights violation," said Ward 2 councillor Jason Farr. It's literally a human rights issue."

In an email to The Spectator, a spokesperson for the City of Hamilton said methadone clinics are zoned as medical clinics, permitted in any commercial or mixed-use zone that would permit a medical clinic." Public notification is not required for establishments that comply with zoning bylaw.

There is nothing we can do as a municipal government ... to prevent a methadone clinic from opening where are the zoning is applicable and appropriate," Farr said.

Farr said he is aware that methadone clinics have the potential to cause problems.

I am not suggesting I'm turning my head to any issues that may occur," he said. But, when they do, you deal with them."

He said there is a need for downtown clinics to help those addicted to opioids, such as fentanyl, morphine or oxycodone, get clean.

In 2018, there were 124 opioid-related deaths in Hamilton - more than double the provincial rate.

We're going through an opioid crisis."

Kate McCullough is a Hamilton-based reporter at The Spectator. Reach her via email: kmccullough@thespec.com