Cohabitation a concern for residents near St-Henri's new safe drug use site
Less than two weeks after Montreal's first safe drug use site opened in the St-Henri neighbourhood, some neighbours say cohabitation has quickly become a concern.
Some residents say there is nudity, open-air drug use and excess belongings thrown about outside Maison Benoit Labre, a safe-use site that also has 36 studio apartments.
"I've never seen this. It's quiet here," said one neighbour, who asked not to be identified for fear of retaliation.
She said when she asked the facility's clients to move from her building's doorway, she was pushed.
"Every night there's screaming, fighting. I can hear it," she said.
The new neighbours have left residents divided.
"Well they need to live somewhere, so it's good. At least it's organized them," said St-Henri resident Emile Berube.
The home understands neighbours' concerns, said executive director Andreane Desilets.
The main entrance on Atwater Avenue is scheduled to open Friday, and Desilets said she expects it will help ease tensions.
Until now, clients have used the entrance on Greene Avenue, which faces an apartment building and an elementary school.
"We're still working out a few kinks, but it's not going to solve everything. Of course not, because this is Montreal, and this is a reality that everyone is going through," she said.
Government officials visited the safe drug use site on Friday to reassure local residents. Despite the difficult transition period, they said it's an important project.
"The safe drug use is going to keep people indoors instead of having them around the sites outdoors in front of children. So it's a positive addition," said Lionel Carmant, Quebec's minister responsible for social services.
Carmant said he expects the situation to improve in the coming days with the main entrance opening. The city said it will continue to work on better cohabitation.
"There will be works done by the City of Montreal, so the situation will be quite improved," said Benoit Dorais, mayor of the Southwest borough.
Maison Benoit Labre said it is also doubling its efforts on the ground, with a clean-up crew and a neighbourhood committee to address the concerns of people living nearby.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
Blind Sask. boy heading to international braille competition hopes to increase accessibility for visually impaired
A Saskatchewan boy who qualified for an international braille competition in Los Angeles next month hopes he can inspire change in his home province.
'A step forward': New screening criteria for sperm donors takes effect
Canadians looking to grow their families with the assistance of sperm or egg donations should soon have more options for donors as the federal health agency does away with longstanding restrictions criticized as discriminatory.