Charlottetown mayor says everyone needs to calm down about outreach centre

The mayor of Charlottetown says everyone has responsibility to "lower the temperature" as the rhetoric over the province's Community Outreach Centre heats up.

Philip Brown told Island Morning host Mitch Cormier on Thursday that the issue has become very emotional as the city struggles with a mental health, drug addiction and socioeconomic "crisis."

The centre's location on Euston Street has been controversial, with residents complaining about drug use, drinking and altercations in an area with two schools nearby.

Meanwhile, tensions over addictions and the lack of housing in the city continue to escalate. Last week, the Native Council of P.E.I. called for the resignation of Coun. Mitch Tweel over comments he made during a council meeting.

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The councillor encouraged people to "drive by and watch" as staff members hand out drug paraphernalia in the centre's parking lot.

"Elected officials tend to reflect the concerns of their constituents and that is what we're hearing at our council levels," Brown said when asked what he thought about councillors' comments on the issue.

"I know the rhetoric can get very emotional, can get very heated, but I believe that the stresses that are being pushed on to local elected officials [are] growing because of the frustration with the provincial community outreach centre.

"But the question here [is] where do you put it?"

Brown said the centre provides essential services at its midtown location, and politicians need to look at "getting more educated" about the addiction crisis affecting the entire country.

He said city police are doing their best to address the issues surrounding the centre, and de-escalate tension when handling incidents.

"It requires much more compassion and understanding. I know that some may not like to hear that, but that's the world we're living in," the mayor said.

"We all have a responsibility — and not only the elected officials, but [members of] our community that are affected by these issues. That's easier said than done, but we all have a responsibility to try to just lower the temperature, calm, bring some calmness to what we're doing in our community."