Methadone clinic re-thinks its Queen Street location

The OATC Sault Ste. Marie methadone clinic is listed for sale as the company apparently evolves away from placing addiction clinics on downtown main streets.

Asking price for the Ontario Addiction Treatment Centres building at 500 Queen St. East (at Spring) is $270,000.

The company has not responded to multiple approaches from SooToday, but has reportedly advised neighbours of its Sault location that its strategy for locating clinics is shifting.

Josh Ingram, general manager of the Downtown Association, tells us this is not the first time that the OATC building has been offered for sale.

Ingram told a meeting of his board this past week that "myriad" discussions have been held over issues arising between patients of the clinic and nearby businesses.

One such meeting took place Wednesday, June 5 involving OATC representatives, Ward 2 councillor Lisa Vezeau-Allen, Sault Ste. Marie Police Service, Downtown Association, concerned business owners, Travis Anderson from FutureSSM, Tom Vair from the city and Charles Shamess, co-ordinator of the Sault Ste, Marie and Area Drug Strategy.

"We were talking about mitigating issues between business downtown and patients of the clinic," Ingram told his board.

"I was surprised at our last meeting with the chief of police that we had businesses more in support when they came," Ingram said.

"This month's meeting was about a few issues with their clientele, and how to mitigate and manage those clients in a better fashion, i.e. keeping them inside the clinic if they're nauseated, having a checklist to make sure that they're not leaving with too many side effects."

"There was also discussion with regard to their location and their lease," Ingram said.

"The general consensus of the meeting was that these places are very important."

"Even from OATC themselves, their consensus was that they're very important but their new strategy wouldn't necessarily be to lease out a spot on the city's main street."

"That's actually their stance. However, the new leadership has inherited the leases of these locations," Ingram said.

"Right now, there are discussions in regards to mitigating some of those issues, as well as seeing what the future of their organization looks like in Sault Ste. Marie."

OATC is Canada's largest network of methadone/suboxone clinics, treating opiate dependence in 56 Ontario locations including Atikoken, Constance Lake, Dryden, Fort Frances, Heast, Kenora, Longlac, North Bay, Pic Mobert, Sault Ste. Marie, Sioux Lookout, Sudbury and four clinics in the Thunder Bay area.

"The Ontario Addiction Treatment Centres (OATC) were founded in 1995," the company says on its website.

"At that time, treatment for opioid agonist therapy, utilizing methadone, was extremely underserviced and those seeking treatment often were forced to travel hundreds of kilometres to seek care. Today, OATC services over 50 communities throughout Ontario, treating over 10,000 patients daily. Our staff is highly dedicated to ensuring optimal care and great effort is made toward encouraging long-term sobriety from all illicit substances."

Village Media block party

In unrelated news, the Downtown Association was advised this week that a Village Media/SooToday-sponsored block party will take place from 3 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, June 26 alongside our new national headquarters at 298 Queen St. East.

Rain date will be Thursday, June 27.

Patrick Hunter, a two-spirit Ojibway artist from Red Lake, Ont. will start work on a mural on our building on Sunday, June 23.