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Sean Leblanc survived his opiate addiction "by the skin of my teeth," and he's seen too many friends fall victim to their own personal demons to stand idly by.

"Many of us here have lost friends and family members, people we love and respect, and I think we as a country and a community can do better," said Leblanc, chair of the Drug Users Advocacy League, leading a rally on Parliament Hill Sunday to voice support for bringing supervised injection sites to Ottawa.

"I know from having been there, people don't want to be sticking a needle in their arm every day, and we need to be providing the support and love and services and basic access to care so that they can make positive changes in their lives."

Calling on the City of Ottawa to endorse a supervised injection site for drug users, about 100 protesters gathered on the steps of Parliament Hill Sunday afternoon.

The Campaign for Safer Consumption Sites in Ottawa maintains that a facility, one similar to Vancouver’s Insite clinic, would reduce overdoses and infectious diseases, as well as refer drug users to addictions services.

But Ottawa Public Health said Sunday it has no plans to open such a service and is monitoring community discussions.

Un groupe de citoyens en faveur de la mise en place d'un centre d'injection supervisée à Ottawa se sont rassemblés sur la colline du Parlement dimanche après-midi. Ils déplorent l'inaction de Santé publique Ottawa qui ne s'est toujours pas prononcée sur ce dossier.

Selon les organisateurs de la maniferstion, des surdoses surviennent quotidiennement dans les rues d'Ottawa et sont responsables de deux décès par mois. Le CSCS Ottawa (Campaign for Safer Consumption) soutient aussi qu'à Ottawa, le taux d'infection au VIH est le plus élevé de la province et que celui d'hépatite C est le plus élevé au pays.

This Sunday March 23rd at 1pm, supporters of the Campaign for Safer Consumption Sites in Ottawa will rally on Parliament Hill to amplify the growing demand for a supervised injection site in our nation’s capital.

Supervised injection sites are a medical intervention proven to reduce public drug use, avert the spread of infectious diseases such as HIV, and prevent overdose fatalities. These sites have vocal support from experts across the Canadian health care community, including the Canadian Medical Association and the Canadian Nurses Association.

Drug overdose occurs daily in the city of Ottawa, claiming at least two lives each month. Among people who inject drugs, HIV infection rates in Ottawa are the highest in the province, while hepatitis C rates are the highest in the country. These figures are appalling considering that there is a cost-effective, humane alternative already practiced in Canada and around the world. Vancouver's Insite has been saving lives and improving the health of its clients for over a decade, and has received unanimous support from the Supreme Court of Canada.