City of Kitchener expected to reject Waterloo’s proposal for Duke Street supervised consumption site

It appears there is a conflict brewing between the City of Kitchener and the Region of Waterloo over the proposed location of a supervised consumption site.

On Tuesday, regional council voted to send a formal proposal to the city to open a supervised consumption facility at 150 Duke St. W.

READ MORE: Region to propose Duke Street location in Kitchener for supervised consumption site

There were two other proposed sites being considered in Kitchener: one at 115 Water St. N. and the other at 105 Victoria St. N.

On Monday, Kitchener council will hold a special council meeting at which city officials are set to propose that the site instead be located on Victoria Street North.

According to the agenda for the meeting, Ward 10 Coun. Sarah Marsh will propose the Victoria Street North site location.

The agenda also states that the city has consistently objected to the region’s choice over concerns about its proximity to two high schools, three daycares and a post-secondary school. The proposed Duke Street West location is also almost directly behind Kitchener City Hall, where there are often public events with large crowds.

The agenda also notes that the Duke Street West location is closer to a population twice the size of the population surrounding the other two possible sites.

However, the region’s report argues that the Victoria Street North site would be located close to the same schools and would be located on a busier street, while the Duke Street West location would offer more privacy to its clients.

The report also notes that the Duke Street West site would be cheaper and available for use sooner than the Victoria Street North site, as the latter location would have to have a facility constructed on the land, which the region currently owns. The report also expresses concerns over whether the province would provide funding for the construction of such a facility.