Forced addiction recovery proposal scrapped by Ontario Big City Mayors as Brampton calls for involuntary treatment

Mayors of Ontario’s biggest cities have walked back a proposal asking for a forced drug and mental health treatment plan in Ontario, leaving Brampton to go it alone if the controversial plan gets provincial approval.

Ontario’s Big City Mayors met on Friday passing a resolution calling on the provincial and federal governments for more tools to deal with homelessness, mental health, safety and addiction crises in cities across the province.

The motion originally called for involuntary drug treatment in Ontario and the possible use of the notwithstanding clause according to the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, proposals it called “dangerous” to fundamental rights and freedoms.

But any reference to either the notwithstanding or involuntary treatment were removed prior to Friday’s vote with the Big City Mayors caucus instead calling for more funding from Ottawa and Queen’s Park, an “intervenor status” when dealing with encampments in their cities, and a review of the Mental Health Act and the Health Care Consent Act among other asks.

The move comes as Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown is calling on the province to introduce a forced treatment plan that he says could save lives and help cut down on some 18,000 police-attended overdoses and 328 fatalities seen in Mississauga and Brampton in recent years.

Prior to the vote, Brown was hopeful that the Big City Mayors would back the proposal. The call saw no love at Peel Regional council earlier this month with both Mississauga and Caledon expressing concerns around forced treatments.

Rather than introduce any new plans, the Big City Mayors say the province needs come up with a plan to build of the thousands of beds needed across Ontario, and a blueprint for funding.

“It is critical that before any new measures are put in place, the province moves quickly to create a plan to build a plethora of supportive housing units, especially units that specifically address the needs of those who have started treatment, and need shelter, care and further supports as they continue their recovery journey,” the OBCM caucus said in a statement.

The mayors said their requests “must be prioritized to help our most vulnerable residents and to keep our communities safe.”

Involuntary treatment is already an option in Ontario under the Mental Health Act if someone is a danger to themselves or others, but Brown wants to see its use expanded to people suffering from chronic mental health and addiction issues.

He put the proposal froward following an election promise by B.C. Premier David Eby to introduce involuntary treatment for people with severe addiction issues, mental health challenges and brain injuries – a plan the CCLA says goes against the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

“Courts have recognized that the right to refuse unwanted medical treatment is fundamental to a person’s dignity and autonomy,” the CCLA says.

With a more than 12 month wait time to get into a treatment program and nine months for psychotherapy, Peel Regional Council is pushing for the province to commit more funding to voluntary treatment programs – a move the CCLA says is also needed.