Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s comments about involuntary treatment for people experiencing severe addiction and mental-health crises have given new momentum to a proposal Brampton first brought forward nearly two years ago.

Ford said on Sept. 10 that he is open to involuntary treatment, provided it helps both the people involved and their communities, and said he wants to consult with mayors about the issue.

In Ontario, “involuntary” care generally means a person can be detained in a psychiatric facility without their consent when a physician determines they meet specific legal criteria; being admitted involuntarily does not automatically mean treatment can be provided without consent.

That has prompted Brampton to renew its call for Ontario to establish a compassionate intervention pilot project in Peel Region.

Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown and city council first asked the province to create such a pilot in October 2024, arguing that some people experiencing severe addiction, mental-health disorders or acquired brain injuries are unable to seek treatment on their own.

The city’s proposal contemplated a process under which first responders could bring someone experiencing a severe crisis to a psychiatric facility, where a physician would determine whether intervention was necessary for the person’s health and safety, as well as the safety of others.

Now, with Ford indicating he is willing to consider involuntary treatment, Brampton is pushing the proposal again.

“I want to thank Premier Ford for being open to this conversation and for committing to sit down with mayors,” Brown said in a statement Tuesday. “Brampton first asked the Province for a compassionate intervention pilot in October 2024, because we see every day what happens when someone in severe crisis is not able to ask for help themselves.”

The city says the need for intervention is illustrated by the demands being placed on police and emergency services in Peel.

Last 30 Days: 49,002 Votes

All Time: 1,519,425 Votes

796 VOTES
Do you think TIFF tickets are reasonably priced?

Between January 2022 and July 2026, Peel Regional Police recorded 24,027 apprehensions involving 17,726 individuals. That works out to an average of about 14 apprehensions every day, according to the city.

Police also attended 3,105 overdose incidents during that period, 534 of which were fatal.

The city says repeat encounters also place a significant burden on police resources. Between January 2020 and June 2024, 1,754 people were apprehended more than once, while 57 were apprehended more than 10 times.

According to Brampton, those repeat incidents accounted for 12,830 officer shifts and more than $12 million in officer time. Officers also spent more than 30,000 hours waiting in hospitals on these calls.

The numbers are being cited by the city as evidence that people experiencing serious addiction and mental-health crises need a more direct pathway into treatment, rather than relying repeatedly on police and emergency departments.

Brampton also points to rising demand for mental-health and addiction services. At the time of its original 2024 request, the city said emergency department visits for mental health and addictions in Brampton had increased 121 per cent since 2010.

The province, however, would have to determine what any involuntary-treatment system would actually look like.

Ontario is responsible for the legislative and health-care framework surrounding involuntary care, including provisions under the Mental Health Act and the Health Care Consent Act. Existing legislation sets out specific circumstances under which treatment can occur without consent, including certain emergencies.

Ford said the province is studying involuntary mental-health and addiction treatment and recently appointed an Associate Minister of Mental Health.

For Brampton, the next step is getting the province to test a new approach in Peel.

“We need an integrated health care system that meets people where they are, closes gaps in care and provides a pathway to treatment, recovery and greater stability,” Brampton Regional Councillor Rowena Santos said.

Brampton says any pilot would need to balance intervention with the dignity of people experiencing severe crises while connecting them with appropriate health-care and community supports.

Peel Regional Police Chief Nishan Duraiappah has also backed the call, saying officers are often the first point of contact for people experiencing mental-health or addiction crises.

The chief said officers spending “tens of thousands of hours” waiting in hospitals on these calls demonstrates the need to connect people with the appropriate services.

Ford’s comments do not amount to a commitment that a Peel pilot will be created, but they reopen a conversation Brampton began with the province in 2024.

For a city that has been pressing Ontario for a different response to recurring addiction and mental-health crises, the question now is whether that conversation will lead to a pilot project.


INsauga’s Editorial Standards and Policies

Stay in the know.

Subscribe now to receive our daily email of today’s top stories in your city!