Coalition calls for halt to Matthew Perry House project

A group of Ottawa residents is calling for a halt to plans to build a new addiction treatment centre on a piece of city green space, with supporters accusing the group of spreading misinformation.

A coalition called Common Sense Planning is concerned that the proposed “Matthew Perry House,” proposed after the death of the famous Ottawa actor, will take over valuable green space at The Royal Mental Health Centre. The coalition is calling for the land lease negotiations for the project to be canceled and is proposing that the project be built on an adjacent parking lot instead.

“This is not about a mindset that is incapable of accepting our neighbors, but about smart, sustainable and responsible planning that benefits everyone — both the people who need addiction services and the communities that support them,” the group said in an online petition.

But officials at The Royal and the Matthew Perry Foundation say some of the group’s claims are false.

Matthew Perry, best known for his role as Chandler Bing on Friends, died in October 2023 in the hot tub of his Los Angeles home.
The Los Angeles County coroner's office ruled the cause of death as "acute exposure" to the drug ketamine and an accident.

Perry had reportedly been receiving ketamine injections to treat depression and anxiety. Although he had struggled with addiction in the past, he had reportedly been "about 19 months clean" at the time of his death.

After his death, his sister Caitlin Morrison, with the help of Matthew's family, childhood friends and others, launched the Matthew Perry Foundation in his memory.

No public green space

The Matthew Perry House is intended to support about 160 people who have completed addiction treatment as they transition back to normal life, according to the foundation. If all goes according to plan, construction on the project is expected to begin in the spring of 2026.

The coalition’s leader, Robert Simpson, says the project should be built in an adjacent parking lot instead of on the grassy area between Island Park and Byng streets.

The coalition has distributed about 3,000 protest flyers in the neighborhood, Simpson says. The flyers, among other things, say that The Royal is signing a 75-year lease to destroy three acres of public green space.

“We’ve been very clear that we support the Matthew Perry Foundation, we support their goals. Our only concern is poor urban planning,” Simpson told CBC.

But The Royal’s president and CEO, Kara Vaccarino, says the center must provide parking for its employees and that the land the project is to be built on is legally designated for institutional use and “is not a public park at all.”

“There’s no playground. There’s no public tennis court,” she said. There is no actual grass field or walking path.”

Vaccarino stressed that the project is intended to serve the public, adding:
“As public servants, we have an obligation to use public resources for the common good. This facility could help reduce the waiting list for supportive housing among people facing mental health challenges and addictions.”

The land has been in public use for decades

Caitlin Morrison, executive director of the Matthew Perry Foundation in Canada, told CBC that she expected opposition, but hopes to convince critics.

“It was somewhat upsetting to see this brochure being distributed when a lot of the information in it is inaccurate and the opposite of what we actually do,” she said.

The Island Park Community Association also supported the coalition’s actions, passing a resolution last week to move the project to the parking lot.

Bill Brooks, the association’s interim president, said that even if the land is owned by The Royal, it’s important to preserve green space in Ottawa.

“This land is owned by the General Hospital, which I believe should serve the public interest,” he said.

The association also called on The Royal to halt negotiations with the Ottawa Social Housing Corporation, which is developing the project.

Simpson said the coalition’s brochure accurately described the space, which has been used by dog ​​walkers, children and athletes for decades:

“We were honest about the fact that the area is used by people on a daily basis, and the brochure reflects that.”

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