About the CSSC

In an effort to find solutions to the impacts of the opioid and opiate epidemic and the housing crisis on the residents of Sandy Hill, and especially North Sandy Hill, the Board voted to create this committee at the May 29, 2023 Board Meeting.

There is a lot of community interest in these issues and this committee is one way for us to work toward community-based solutions and advocate with a strong voice. The committee is open to ASH Members and non-members alike, as long as you are a Sandy Hill resident we would love to have you join.

The terms of reference were approved by the ASH Board on June 26, 2023.

Broad Mandate
To address matters pertaining to housing, and social services that impact Sandy Hill on behalf of the ASH Board of Directors. The CSS Committee has been created to address the needs of Sandy Hill residents and will act to improve community safety and wellness through research, advocacy, representation, and collaboration.

Click here to read the full draft ToR

Click here for agendas, meeting notes, and reports.

Updates from ASH

August 7: 580 CFRA Ottawa Now with Kristy Cameron
Interview with CSSC Chair re: ASH Open Letter to Councillor Ariel Troster
https://omny.fm/shows/580-cfra/hour-2-of-ottawa-now-for-wed-august-7th-2024

August 6, 2024: ASH Published and Open Letter to Councillor Ariel Troster
Open Letter to Councillor Troster from Action Sandy Hill

July 22, 2024: Ottawa Police Servcies Board
CSSC Chair, committee members and Sandy Hill residents delegate to request effective policing in North Sandy Hill

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiFEnP_JlBsé
The delegations from residents begin at 14min 05sec
The delegation from committee member A and the Chair of the Downtown Ottawa Condominium Alliance is at 22min 42sec
The delegation from the Chair is at 36min 41sec
The delegation from committee member B is at 56min 57sec (by telephone)

July 15, 2024: ASH Acting Chair and SHCHC Director of the Consumption and Treament Site live interview with CBC Ottawa Morning
How the community is reacting to Sandy Hill’s supervised consumption site reopening | Ottawa Morning with Robyn Bresnahan | Live Radio | CBC Listen

July 15, 2024: Articles and interviews with ASH Acting Chair, CSSC members, SHCHC staff and clients, and Sandy Hill residents
As supervised consumption site reopens, what has months-long closure meant for Sandy Hill? | CBC News
Supervised consumption site in Sandy Hill reopens | CTV News

June 26, 2024: Community Service Committee
CSSC Chair delegated on the Integrated Transition to Housing Strategy to request that services be made available across the City of Ottawa and to highlight issues with megashelters.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGKj7qcebIc
The staff presentation of updates on the strategy begins at 16min 17sec
The delegation from the CSSC Chair begins at 33min 32sec

June 24, 2024: Ottawa Police Services Board
A CSSC Committee Member and multple residents from North Sandy Hill delegate to request more effective policing in North Sandy Hill

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kb2uYskaykQ
The delegations from North Sandy Hill residents begin with the Committee member at 19min 15sec

June 17, 2024: Emergency Preparedness and Protective Services Committee
CSSC Chair delegated on two separate points: the Ottawa Fire Servcies Annual Report 2023 and the Ottawa Paramedic Services Annual Report 2023

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2_c-_NHPi4
The delegation on Ottawa Fire Services begins at 15m 01s
The delegation on Ottawa Paramedic Services begins at 55 m 29 s

March 21, 2024: Emergency Preparedness and Protective Services Committee
CSSC Chair and the ASH Secretary delegated in support Councillor Plante’s motion to look into a website to combine information on problematic properties.
Other delegations included members of the Vanier and Hintonburg Community Associations
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXApKyjXzhw

The motion is presented at 1h 36m 43s
The delegations begin at 1h 38m 08s with the ASH Secretary
The delegation from the CSSC Chair begins at 2h 18m 17s

March 13, 2024: CSSC Committee member publishes an Op-Ed in the Citizen
Khazaeli: Discarded drug debris is hurting kids. The city needs to act | Ottawa Citizen

March 1, 2024: ASH Vice-Chair and Councillor Plante Interviewed for CBC’s second article on Safer Supply
A bitter pill: Safer supply program flawed but vital, patient says | CBC News

February 28, 2024: ASH Chair and Vice-Chair Interviewed for CBC article series on Safer Supply
As drugs overwhelm this downtown block, is safer supply the problem or the solution? | CBC News
Rattrapage du 28 février 2024 : Saison hivernale morose pour les stations de ski, et retour sur le conseil municipal spécial de Gatineau (radio-canada.ca) Commentaires de Louise Lapointe, Présidente de l’ACS, à 2 min. 08 sec.

January 29, 2024: ASH Community and Social Services Priorities

At the Action Sandy Hill Board Meeting on January 29, 2024, the ASH Board approved the following priorities for the CSS Committee and directed the committee to develop position statements 8 for each of them:

City of Ottawa Responsibilities
Deconcentration of Services (review and update)
Garbage/Waste Management
Safer Supply
CTSs and Treatment
Housing
Community Wellness

November 28 2023: Ottawa Community Services Committee

CSSC Committee Chair, Calla Barnett and one resident and committee member, Anya Fraser, delegated at the City of Ottawa Community Services Committee. Councillor Plante intervened as a committee member as well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-GLGMZ7WrY

Delegations begin at 39 min. 36 sec.
CSSC Chair 2h 33min
Ms. Fraser 4h 31min
Councillor Plante 6h 20min

November 27, 2023: Ottawa Police Services Board
CSSC Committee Chair, Calla Barnett, and two residents and committee members, Anya Fraser and Keith Nuthall delegate at the Ottawa Police Services Board
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uNtQHAYckc

Mr. Nuthall 16min 45 sec
CSSC Chair 27min 49 sec
Ms. Fraser 34min 32 sec

November 06, 2023: Board of Health

Councillor Stephanie Plante, CSSC Committee Chair, Calla Barnett, and Sandy Hill Residents delegate at the Ottawa Board of Health in reaction the City of Ottawa’s Overdose Response.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urVNewsKz7s&t=9633s

Resident delegations start around 2h10min.
Councillor Plante 2h 19min
CSSC Chair 2h 26min

September 08, 2023:

Committee Chair, Calla Barnett and Councillor Stéphanie Plante were interviewed in a podcast from the basement (!!!) of Capital City Mission for The Recovery Connection by Jericho Road to discuss Ward 12, Sandy Hill, the Housing Crisis and the Impact of the Toxic Drug Supply, among so many other things! Check out what they have to say!

 

August 22, 2023
Letter to Minister Jones requesting a review of Consumption and Treatment Sites in Ottawa and Ottawa Public Health