Brad Bradford calls for mandatory addiction treatment if elected Toronto mayor

Toronto mayoral candidate Brad Bradford is calling for mandatory addiction treatment as part of his platform to address the city's homelessness and addiction crisis.

Bradford made the announcement in a video statement, with CBC Radio's Metro Morning breaking down his remarks and the community reaction.

The specific details of Bradford's mandatory treatment proposal—including which treatment types would be mandated, who would be required to enter treatment, and what enforcement mechanism would apply—have not been disclosed. The city's current addiction treatment capacity and waitlists that would need to expand to support such a policy are also unclear.

Bradford has been an active voice in the mayoral race. As HOC reported in July, he took aim at fellow candidate Chris Alexander, and in June received his first mayoral endorsement from an ex-MP.

On the campaign trail, Bradford has also vowed that Bloor Street West bike lanes would be "coming out" if he is elected mayor—a direct challenge to the city's cycling infrastructure at a time when Premier Doug Ford's government recently won court approval to remove protected bike lanes across Toronto.