“Regrettably, Councilor Parkes has not seen fit to even respond to us or our physicians.” Parkes responded to the lawsuit in a media release sent to The Oshawa Express on Monday.“The statements the plaintiffs complain of were made during a radio interview requested of me to address legitimate issues surrounding methadone clinics that this city has been grappling with for several years,” she writes.

“It is my belief that the lawsuit is without merit and represents an attempt to limit legitimate public debate with respect to issues surrounding the provision of methadone care in private, for profit clinics, not just in Oshawa but throughout Ontario. A full and complete defense will be mounted by my legal counsel in due course including seeking costs against the plaintiffs for pursuing this action.” Khosla says that Parkes’ decision not to retract her statements left the clinic with no alternative but to sue.

“Her statements to KX 96 FM were untrue and damaging to the reputation of the clinic and those associated with it,” he says.“Furthermore, the statements have caused undue stress to our patients, staff and physicians.” Khosla says if the lawsuit is successful, the clinic intends to take a portion of the proceeds and direct it to further addiction research and support for Oshawa patients. However, Parkes maintains that her concerns about methadone maintenance therapy are justified.

“The concerns I have expressed with respect to how methadone clinics are operated are well documented and shared by many academics and experts,” she writes. “These include the size and location of methadone clinics, the absence of patient privacy in storefront operations, drug carry out policy and the inconsistency of counseling services.”

The First Step Clinic has been operating in Oshawa since 1997 and offers methadone maintenance therapy to drug users struggling to overcome their addiction. In 2002, city council lost a battle to relocate the clinic, located at 32 Simcoe St. S., just north of Athol Street. In August 2004, the Chief Coroner for Ontario launched an inquest into four Oshawa area deaths that appeared to be related to methadone.

Three deaths were First Step clients; the fourth was of a 17-year-old male who had purchased methadone from someone who was a First Step client. While the jury in the inquest made 46 recommendations aimed at preventing methadone-related deaths, the mandate of a coroner’s inquest is not to place blame. Continues Parkes,“I will stand firm and defend my right as an elected official to advocate for change in this area.”