Ontario reveals ‘tough new rules’ to combat public transit drug use. Here’s what’s changing.
- On Monday, Solicitor General Michael Kerzner announced that special constables on the Toronto Transit Commission and in Ottawa will receive authority to arrest individuals using illegal drugs on public transit who refuse to comply.
- Premier Doug Ford previously teased these "tough new rules" to combat public drug use, stating that Ontarians were "scared" to ride subways and emphasizing the need to keep communities safe.
- The legislation also bans pill presses and precursor chemicals for illegal drug production, while commercial landlords face penalties for knowingly allowing such operations, punishable by up to $10,000 in fines and six months in prison.
- While the Ontario Special Constables Association welcomed the increased enforcement powers, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association warned the laws could lead to arbitrary detention and unreasonable search and seizures.
- Come July 1, the government will implement these changes, though Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow argued that simply removing individuals does not address the underlying addiction crisis requiring shelter and treatment.
26 Articles
26 Articles
Scott Stinson: Ontario's crackdown on drugs on public transit has been a long time coming
After the Progressive Conservative government announced plans this week to grant new powers to public-transit special constables so that they can arrest drug users, there was nary a word of protest from the opposition parties at Queen’s Park.
Ontario to Give Special Constables More Powers to Address Drug Use on Public Transit
Ontario’s government is proposing changes as part of a larger public safety bill meant to give special constables more power to crack down on drug use on public transit. The proposed new measures, announced May 4 by Ontario Solicitor General Michael Kerzner, include up to six months in jail and a $10,000 fine for those using drugs on public transit. “Through these proposed changes we are giving law enforcement and their partners the tools they n…
Special constables getting power to arrest for drug use on transit, Ontario solicitor general says
The Ontario government says as part of a crackdown on illegal drug use in public spaces it will allow special constables to make arrests on transit, a proposal advocates warn risks victimizing the province’s most vulnerable people.
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