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Detox centre slow going

Heather Wright Special to The Journal Bluewater Health’s plan to open a detox centre is moving “at a snail’s pace,“ says St. Clair Township Mayor Steve Arnold.

Heather Wright

Special to The Journal

Bluewater Health’s plan to open a detox centre is moving “at a snail’s pace,“ says St. Clair Township Mayor Steve Arnold.

The county committed $250,000 for a residential withdrawal management centre to deal with a community drug addiction problem in 2012, when Arnold was warden.

The Erie St. Clair Local Health Integration Network agreed it was a good idea and said it would provide funding.

Bluewater Health set up programs to help people deal with addiction in 2014. But the group in charge of the detox centre has not yet proposed a location for a building, let alone opening the 10-bed facility.

“We need a report on where we stand on this,” Arnold told county councillors. “It has been a long time since we’ve seen anything in writing … We’ve had three wardens now since this was brought up.”

Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley agreed.

“A year ago the question was raised about the location of the centre. The county … had a location option,” he said, noting that was two years ago.

“The sense of urgency doesn’t seem to be there.”


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