Latest news with #DanCarter
CBC
16-05-2025
- Health
- CBC
Oshawa mayor 'disappointed' Ontario budget left out addictions, mental health emergency ward for city
Social Sharing Oshawa Mayor Dan Carter has called on Premier Doug Ford to fund a mental health and addictions emergency ward at the city's Lakeridge Health hospital, saying he was disappointed it was left out of Ontario budget after telling the premier about the urgent need for the project. Carter, who said he is a recovering drug and alcohol addict, said the city does not have the resources or capacity to meet peoples' needs. "I know as an addict… if you say, 'I got a bed for you, we're going to help you, I'm going to get you medicated,' I'm all in," Carter said Friday. "If you tell me to come back Tuesday because I'll have a bed and medication then, you'll never see me again." Carter said he first met with Ford 15 months ago at the premier's house to discuss the proposal, and reiterated the importance of the project with local MPPs and Minister of Health Sylvia Jones at Queen's Park two weeks ago. "We've made our case the best possible way we can. All we need is the allocation of funds and unfortunately I was disappointed," Carter said at a news conference on Friday. The mayor addressed Ford directly during the conference, saying the ward will save lives by connecting people with the care they need at the right time. "What happens is many of the patients end up walking out and we miss that opportunity to get them the proper care," he said. "It has to be a system that cares for individuals from the time that they're [vital signs absent] on the street all the way through to recovery." CBC Toronto reached out to the Ministry of Health for comment. The premier's office redirected the request to the Ministry of Health. Project supported by finance minister, mayor says Carter said he supports the province's Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hubs, which provide access to recovery and treatment systems for people struggling with addictions and mental health issues. The government is spending $550 million to create a total of 28 HART hubs across the province, including one in Oshawa, according to a news release from March. But he said the HART Hubs focus on recovery, while the proposed ward would quickly connect people with trained professionals in a calm environment. WATCH | Province considering involuntary addictions treatment for those in correctional system: Why experts are concerned by Ontario's move to consider involuntary addiction treatment 10 days ago Duration 2:40 The Ontario government says it wants to explore whether it could make people in the criminal justice system attend addiction treatment — regardless of whether they consent. This has experts raising ethical concerns. CBC's Britnei Bilhete has the story. Last year, emergency crews responded to over 350 overdoses in Oshawa, Carter said. He said the number of overdoses have been declining, but "people are still dying on our streets because of drug toxicity." "If it's six people or 60 people, I find that unacceptable," he said. Carter says he doesn't know why the emergency ward project was excluded from the budget, which was tabled on Thursday. He says it has been endorsed by local MPPs, including finance minister Peter Bethlenfalvy. He said Oshawa spends roughly $3.5 million annually on various addictions support programs. Among the city's initiatives, he said they created a rapid response unit with 20 specially trained firefighters to respond to overdoses. Oshawa is one of eight lower-tier municipalities within Durham region — meaning it has its own city council but is also a member of the Durham Regional Council. Carter said Oshawa has been advocating up to the regional council and the province for resources on mental health and addictions support for over five years. "We are on the frontlines and the other levels of governments are not on the frontlines," he said. Coun. Brian Nicholson, who represents Ward 5 in Oshawa, said he's received complaints from his constituents about people using drugs on streets in the neighbourhood, including in front of school yards. City council voted 6 to 5 against opening a supervised consumption site in Oshawa in March 2019, according to coverage from other news outlets at the time. Nicholson said he voted for the site. "We've rejected a single site safe injunction site with security," he said. "Now we have hundreds of unsafe injunction sites across the city."
CTV News
16-05-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Oshawa declares public health crisis over crime, addiction
Oshawa's mayor Dan Carter criticized the Ford government's latest provincial budget for failing to address health care funding. Mike Walker reports.
CTV News
16-05-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Oshawa mayor calls on province to build emergency mental health and addictions ward amid public health crisis
Oshawa's mayor is calling on the province to provide funding for an emergency mental health and addictions ward at Lakeridge Health, saying the city is in a 'public health crisis.' Speaking at a press conference on Friday morning, Oshawa Mayor Dan Carter spoke of the 'drug crisis' impacting his municipality, pointing to addiction and mental health as contributing factors to the issue. The mayor spoke of Thursday's shooting near Oshawa's downtown core as an example of the 'lawlessness' taking hold of the municipality. 'This event of two individuals being shot on the cusp of our downtown saddens me tremendously,' Carter said. Two people were sent to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries following the shooting, though the exact circumstances surrounding the incident have not been made clear and no connections to drugs have been made. However, the mayor continued to express how saddened he was that the 'drug crisis continues to affect thoes that are most vulnerable' despite the city's best efforts, and pointed to their contributions through the primary care outreach and Welcoming Streets programs and the Refuge Youth Outreach Centre as some examples. According to the Oshawa mayor, the number of vulnerable individuals who live in the municipality has increased more than tenfold since April 2020, going from about 45 people to more than 500—and as such, Carter says the city lacks the resources to be able to adequately care for them. 'We do not have the expertise, we do not have the sources to be able to deal with this, but what I want to say today is this is not a lawless society,' Carter said, adding that there will be no tolerance for those who incite violence or fail to abide by the law in a way that infringes on the public's safety or takes advantage of vulnerable communities. 'I am committed, my council is committed, our team is committed here are city hall to be able to address it the best possible way we can.' As for Durham Regional Police's efforts, Acting Deputy Chief Ryan Connolly said they're committed to maintaining a safe environment for the community but said the issues surrounding public health 'require multi-agency intervention in order to appropriately address the cause and make a meaningful impact.' 'We also understand that people are addicted to drugs, especially Schedule 1 drugs—fentanyl, crystal meth, cocaine, any type of opioid—very addictive drugs, and it leads to a path that's not a great path,' Connolly said. 'But more importantly, we're focusing on the individuals that are preying on the vulnerable people in our communities, which includes people who are addicted to drugs, human trafficking victims. These are the worst criminals of the worst because they exploit people who are suffering from addiction or having difficulties in their life.' Carter said he was hoping during the province's budget announcement on Thursday that Premier Doug Ford would have allocated funding for a specialized mental health and addiction emergency ward at Lakeridge Health in Oshawa—something the mayor says he presented to the premier about 15 months ago. 'This is utilizing an existing space, converting it to an empath program, where all mental health and addiction patients would go into that environment, and they would be treated within 20 minutes. Right now, our police officers and EMS people could wait up to 13 hours in our emergency ward for individuals to be able to seek the type of help that they need,' Carter said. 'This was a partnership that we were looking forward to and, to my knowledge yesterday, we missed that opportunity.' In a release published in April regarding a partnership between Lakeridge Health and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), CAMH said, on average each year, Lakeridge Health sees more than 100,000 mental health visits from adults, more than 12,000 visits from children and youth and more than 14,000 to its emergency departments related to mental health and substance abuse. Across Canada, one in five people will experience or be impacted by mental health illness and addictions issues, according to CAMH. 'I am a recovering alcoholic and drug addict of 34 years. What I can tell you is that compassionate intervention works,' Carter said. Carter noted the province had already recently invested in a similar ward at Guelph General Hospital, which will be able to assist more patients immediately with mental health and addiction services as soon as it opens, and was hoping the province would green light a similar hub for Oshawa. 'Premier, please, please allocate the funds necessary for the Lakeridge emergency mental health and addictions ward. It will make a significant difference, it will save lives and families depend on us to do everything we possibly can to save their child's life,' Carter said.
Associated Press
12-03-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
GoNetspeed Completes Bethel Construction Connecting Residents, Businesses to 100% Fiber Internet
BETHEL, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mar 12, 2025-- GoNetspeed today announced that the Town of Bethel's first residents and businesses now have access to GoNetspeed's high-speed 100% fiber internet with construction of the network now complete. Through GoNetspeed's privately funded $1.6 million investment in Bethel, more than 3,065 locations now have access to future-proof fiber internet. Residents and businesses interested in GoNetspeed services may visit to order service. 'Gaining another provider option will propel our community forward, improving competition, pricing, and overall quality of service,' said Dan Carter, Town of Bethel First Selectman. 'GoNetspeed's investment in our community, has equipped us with access to 100% fiber internet that will support our continued economic development.' 'As we start serving another community in Connecticut, we're excited to give more homes access to fast, symmetrical upload and download speeds,' said Tom Perrone, GoNetspeed Chief Operating Officer. 'We are thankful for the support we've received and know that our 100% fiber-optic network will grow with the community's needs, giving the best online experience.' GoNetspeed continues to ensure that more communities throughout Connecticut have access to a high-speed 100% fiber internet infrastructure. Currently, more than 40 communities throughout the state have access to GoNetspeed's service, along with many communities that are well on their way to having access to GoNetspeed's fiber internet. With a legacy of innovation and a commitment to customer service, GoNetspeed is continuing to accelerate the expansion of its fiber networks throughout nine states, including Connecticut. GoNetspeed continues to deliver more fiber, more access, more speed, and better reliability to residents and businesses throughout our footprint. With access to 100% fiber internet, customers have access to symmetrical upload and download speeds, ranging from 500 Mbps to 1 Gbps (1,000 Mbps). Learn more about GoNetspeed at GoNetspeed, a high-speed fiber internet provider serving residential and business customers in Maine, Alabama, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and West Virginia, formed a partnership with Oak Hill Capital ('Oak Hill') in January 2021, allowing GoNetspeed to accelerate the expansion of its fiber network throughout the Northeastern U.S. Adding thousands of new service areas every year, GoNetspeed is one of the largest independent internet providers in the east. For more information about GoNetspeed, or to inquire about service in your residence, business or community, visit Katherine Yochum 502.963.8409 SOURCE: GoNetspeed Copyright Business Wire 2025. PUB: 03/12/2025 10:01 AM/DISC: 03/12/2025 10:02 AM
