At the Committee of the Whole meeting on Tuesday September 3, Councillor Adam Bureau made a “Notice of Motion” – this means the motion will be considered at the next Council meeting. The motion asks permission from Council to form a partnership and invite the Cobourg Police Service, the Cobourg Fire Department, Northumberland EMS and representatives from the county, MPP David Piccini and MP Kim Rudd. They would then hold a round table discussion to come up with suggestions to combat the opioid crisis. The choice of people is because “this group of people deals with this issue on an almost daily basis and would have first-hand knowledge on recommendations on how to eliminate opioids and other harmful and fatal drugs from our community”.
Adam wants the round table to be held at Venture 13 on October 1st and to bring back their recommendations to Council. (File photo above-right)
Adam was particularly concerned about opioid addiction since he once had that problem. After experiencing a “horrific car accident” in 2002 his doctor prescribed oxycontin and he quickly became addicted to it. Adam considers himself to be one of the lucky ones since he was able to overcome his addiction but he “could have just as easily not been so lucky” (See the link below to see all of what he said). Councillor Nicole Beatty moved an amendment asking to expand the round table to include other stakeholders – her amendment was interrupted by the arrival of the bat (see previous article) but her additions were agreed. Adam will be personally inviting all the people involved.
Update – 6 Sept 2019
Note from Adam Bureau
This will be the official list I present to council on Monday.
New list that will be in attendance
#1 – MP Kim Rudd
#2 – MPP David Piccini
#3 – Warden Bob Sanderson
#4 – Chief of Fire Department Mike Vilneff
#5 – Chief of Police Paul Vandegraff
#6 – Chief of the EMS Tarmo Uukkivi
#7 – Catharine Macdonald who is a substance and harm reduction coordinator with the HKPR
#8 – Lisa Horne who is the director of community and social services
#9 – Sarah Tanner who is the county services Manager
#10 – David Sheffield Green Wood coalition
#11 – Nicole Wittmore Green Wood coalition
#12 – Chantelle Bureau Student at Fleming college studying sociology and the opioid crisis and had a father who was addicted to opioids.
#13 – Shannon Murphy our town emergency planner
#14 – Last but definitely not least council.
All have been contacted and are coming.
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To bad someone seems to direct and control & edit discussions on this site
must be some one from council !!! I still believe this is a good cause but a sever duplication of services
which are already provided for by so many other agencies through out the Town , County , Province
and country What we should ask is where did all the Millions of $$$$ go that Canada received from the Law suite against the Drug manufactures I Other countries those court winnings Class actions etc. went to the people & families injured or damaged from Opioid use .
Picking up from the suggestions below: Add – doctor(s), trauma unit representative and the Task Force on Opioids (tri-county Haliburton, Kawartha, Northumberland) see https://consider-this.ca/8351-2/.
Delete – MPP and MP as I can’t believe they will champion a cause until there is meat on the bone. Keep them abreast of developments and bring them in when there is something concrete to discuss that may/may not require Prov/Fed policy and/or funding assistance. If this situation is truly a crisis then lets not politicize it (remember there is an election soon) before you get started.
Exactly! With an election on or before Oct 21 Ms. Rudd will be focused on buying votes rather than solving a crises.
I think it’s a great idea having a round table open discussion on this epidemic. I applauded Adam’s decision to shed light on this issue and his candor of sharing his own experience and struggle. I can’t say the same about his choice of hair style in the photo above though….lol ;))
Perhaps you are looking at the hair from Nicole Beatty who is immediately behind him in the photo. Adam has a fashionably shaved head.
I know, I was just teasing… ;)) but it made me look twice at the pic…lol
Are any doctors being invited to the round table meeting as this group do the prescribing?
Yes, good point. For all the talk and hand wrenching about the opioid crisis I certainly cannot recall any doctors walking the perp walk for over prescribing. Even though rumour has it there have been local doctors who have quietly had their ability to prescribe narcotics suspended.
Let us form another high profile committee. Maybe hire a consultant and an executive director. A great opportunity to expand the victim industry.
Kyle,
I think you offered a great idea! minus the smarminess…lol ;))
What about the doctors’ who prescribe them? they should all be invited to this disscussion.
Like it or not, narcotics are a nessary evil, and for most cases, they are prescribed for only a short period of time. I think having the input from the very doctors that prescibes the drugs would be invaluable. Something to consider atleast