Guelph candidates on boosting mental health system, making life more affordable

Guelph, Ont.,is a city that boasts a university, a growing agri-tech sector and a downtown core that has taken on new life during the pandemic with patios and a planned new main library branch.

But the city also faces challenges, including a number of people who are homeless, people fighting addictions and families finding it harder to afford everyday essentials.

There are seven people running in Guelph in theprovincial election, which takes place on June 2. They are, alphabetically:

• Juanita Burnett, Communist.
• Raechelle Devereaux, Liberal.
• Will Lomker, New Blue.
• Peter McSherry, Progressive Conservative.
• James Parr, New Democrat.
• Mike Schreiner, Green.
• Paul Taylor, None of the Above.

CBC Kitchener-Waterloo invited the candidates from the four major parties to take part in an online panel discussion on Wednesday, May 25.

Devereaux, Parr and Schreiner joined thepanel to talk about top issues in thecampaign. McSherry declined the panel invitation and a one-on-one interview, but his campaign senta statement by email.

A video of the entire panel discussion can be found at the end of this article.

Need to address mental health system

Schreiner, the leader of the Green Party in Ontario, was the first Green MPP elected in the province and has served Guelph since 2018. Hesaid he's proud that his party released a standalone mental health strategy, a key component of whichis to make investments in the system.

He saidpeople should be able to get mental health support through OHIP, and he'd like to see wait times reduced especially for youth to under 30 days. More staff need to be hired to help, Schreiner said, addinghe'd like to expand youth wellness hubs.

He gave a "shout out" to Devereaux for her work with the Guelph Community Health Centre and the city's consumption and treatment site.

"We have to start treating the substance use and drug poisoning crisis as the public health emergency that it is not a criminal justice issue. How do we do that? Expand consumption and treatment sites and harm reduction efforts," he said.

Schreiner also called for a three-digit phone number similar to 911 for emergency services that would get people emergency mental health care because, he said, police are not always the best people to respond to a mental health crisis.

"Let's make sure the appropriate services are deployed," he said.

"This question is why I'm running," said the NDP's Parr. "During the pandemic, I had my struggles with mental health."

He shared that during the COVID-19 pandemic, his anxiety got worseand he suffered from depression. Parr said hewas able to see a therapist and get help, but he had to pay out of his own pocket, and he knows not everyone can do that.

"We also want to make sure that it's affordable and accessible," Parrsaid of the NDP's stance on the mental health care system. The party also wants services to be available through OHIP.

Parr saidthe opioid crisis needs to be declared a public health emergency, and he wants to see drug use decriminalized.

"People are just trying to fix their hurt, and that should not be a criminalized endeavour," he said.

The opioid crisis was top of mind in 2018, but when COVID-19 hit, the opioid crisisbecame less important to people, Parrsaid.

"It needs to be put back on the top because average Ontarians are being affected," he said.

Devereaux, the Liberal candidate,noted thatin 2018, Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford campaigned to close all overdose prevention sites "during an overdose crisis."

She said it was deeply concerning because the consumption and treatment site had just opened in Guelph. Then Christine Elliott, Ontario's health minister,looked into the sites, "and it felt very much like an investigation," Devereaux said and staff at the Guelph siteweren't sure if they'd be closed down.

With one day left on nursing contracts for the site, she said she was told that the province would extend the contracts.

"That's the type precariousness that health-care workers have endured, amplified in the pandemic, and that ... the value of lives have been put under [with]the Ford government," Devereaux said.

"We, Guelph, wish we didn't need to have overdose prevention sites in our community, but we also wish that we didn't have wait lists the size that we do for mental health and addiction services, inaccessibility of care and an actual, comprehensive approach to address the early childhood trauma that is in so many cases a predeterminant of those addictions in the first place."

In an emailed statement, McSherry said his party has a plan to make life more affordable.

The Progressive Conservatives will increase the housing supply and invest in skilled trades, McSherry said,adding that if he's elected, he will ensure the city's needs are a top priority at Queen's Park.

WATCH | Guelph candidates discuss top issues in the provincial election campaign:

Ontario Votes 2022: Guelph candidates on top issues

2 years ago

Duration 32:51

Ontario Votes 2022: Guelph candidates on top issues