Cambridge Mayor hosting summit that includes a controversial speaker

Cambridge Mayor, Jan Liggett has organized a summit that has been dubbed See Me, Hear Me, which aims to encourage discussion around the lack of supports for families dealing with mental health or addiction issues.

Liggett said Ontario has failed those families.

While she has said some of the speakers will include the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), the Chief of Psychiatry at Cambridge Memorial Hospital and a representative from the Cambridge Food Bank. The keynote address will be delivered by Michael Shellenberger, an American author, blogger and former journalist.

Shellenberger is perhaps best known for his book San Fransicko: Why Progressives Ruin Cities. In which he discusses the role of “woke ideology” in the growing homelessness, mental health and addiction crisis.

Shellenberger also has some strong views on conversation therapy, transgenderism and involuntary treatment for addictions and mental health. He is also a regular contributor to Fox News.

Mayor Liggett, in the past, has said she supported the idea involuntary treatment as a potential option for addressing addiction issues in certain cases.

Liggett was a guest on The Mike Farwell Show and said this summit is about the families being torn apart by the addiction and mental health problems of loved ones. She says their voices are rarely heard when discussing potential solutions and she wants this summit to amplify those voices.

She said Shellenberger writes about those families in his book and knows first hand what they are going through.

“When I first started reading his book I said ‘Oh my God, he really knows what he’s talking about’ and I wanted someone to come who could speak about those families because I think their voices get lost.”

Liggett was asked about who would be footing the bill for this summit and she said many of the speakers have volunteered their time and the use of the Islamic Centre of Cambridge was free and much of the costs will be taken up through ticket sales.

The See Me, Hear Summit is happening April 25 and 26 at the Islamic Centre of Cambridge.