Letters to the Editor / November 28, 2005

Partnership sought in prostitute problem
RE: Residents want new approach to prostitute problem, Oct. 28 The Hintonburg Community Association (HCA) has long recognized the need to seek long-term solutions to the problem of street prostitution. We have not been content to “push the problem into a different community,” but have sought solutions by working with other communities and agencies since the early 1990s. With the Ottawa Police, the HCA developed and piloted the ‘John School’ in 1996 to educate customers about the impact of their behaviour on their family, the prostitutes and the community. We have lobbied to keep de-tox beds open in the face of funding cuts by government. We have been front and centre in the lobbying effort which resulted in the establishment of the Ottawa Drug Court, which will offer drug treatment instead of jail or a criminal record. We have worked hard to educate politicians at the municipal, provincial and federal level about the harmful impacts that street-level prostitution has on communities. We have stressed that prostitution in our community is a result of addiction, which is a health problem, not a criminal issue, and are lobbying both senior levels of government for more addiction treatment funding. We look forward to working with Centretown residents to find the long-term solutions we all know are needed. Linda Hoad, President, Hintonburg Community Assosciation

Partnership sought in prostitute problem

RE: Residents want new approach to prostitute problem, Oct. 28
The Hintonburg Community Association (HCA) has long recognized the need to seek long-term solutions to the problem of street prostitution. We have not been content to “push the problem into a different community,” but have sought solutions by working with other communities and agencies since the early 1990s.
With the Ottawa Police, the HCA developed and piloted the ‘John School’ in 1996 to educate customers about the impact of their behaviour on their family, the prostitutes and the community.
We have lobbied to keep de-tox beds open in the face of funding cuts by government. We have been front and centre in the lobbying effort which resulted in the establishment of the Ottawa Drug Court, which will offer drug treatment instead of jail or a criminal record.
We have worked hard to educate politicians at the municipal, provincial and federal level about the harmful impacts that street-level prostitution has on communities.
We have stressed that prostitution in our community is a result of addiction, which is a health problem, not a criminal issue, and are lobbying both senior levels of government for more addiction treatment funding.
We look forward to working with Centretown residents to find the long-term solutions we all know are needed.

Linda Hoad,
President,
Hintonburg Community
Assosciation