Watson, Bordeleau dodge responsibility of closing down OPO
Posted Oct 11, 2017 03:45:38 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
OTTAWA – Two of the city’s top officials are refusing to back down when it comes to Overdose Prevention Ottawa.
Both Mayor Jim Watson and Ottawa Police Chief Charles Bordeleau have called for the closure of the unsanctioned supervised injection site operating at Raphael Brunet Park, but neither have made a move for that to happen.
“That’s a decision of by-law and police, and we don’t direct those agencies,” said Watson Wednesday at City Hall following a Council meeting, “We’re not going to go down that route. We believe by-law and police have to deal with it.”
Those comments come after Bordeleau has said police are waiting for direction from the City on whether or not to close the controversial site.
1310 NEWS reached out to Bordeleau Wednesday afternoon but the police chief was not available for comment.
While neither official seems to be budging on the issue, Watson did tell a scrum Wednesday that his office has been involved in multiple discussions about finding an alternative spot for the site to operate.
