Fairview methadone clinic will open

Direction 180 says its plan to open a methadone clinic in a Fairview neighborhood will go ahead.

The Halifax clinic told CBC News there is demand for the service. A spokesperson said a lot of current clients live in Fairview, and 30 per cent of the people on the waiting list are from the area.

Residents expressed concerns about the location of the clinic in a series of meetings.

Cindy MacIsaac, the executive director of the Direction 180 program, said some members of the business community had offered to help fund a mobile clinic to keep the Dutch Village Road location from being used.

"We learned that they were not able to provide us the resources to proceed with the mobile so the decision was made today and we have decided that we are going forward and opening the site on Dutch Village Road," she said.

"I feel relief that Direction 180 is going to continue to do what we do well and that's providing treatment to people with opiate addiction. It’s going to reduce the risk in that community, for the residents in Fairview. Which will also have an impact on crime rates in Fairview and we will do our best to work with those people in the community who are not happy to see us."

MacIsaac said they hope to have their clinic up and running by as soon as next week.

But not everyone in the community is open to a methadone clinic.

About 100 people showed up to a public meeting Friday night.

Direction 180 currently operates a treatment facility on Gottingen Street in Halifax.

Dozens of clients come to Direction 180 every day for a dose of methadone, a drug used to help control the withdrawal symptoms from opiates.