Ontario's minister of health promotion will meet with Ottawa's mayor, chief of police and chief medical officer of health early next week in the first step toward building an $8-million, 48-bed residential drug treatment centre for youth.

"Well, I don't think there's any debate that there's obviously a need for a residential drug rehab program in eastern Ontario, specifically Ottawa," said Jim Watson about the treatment centre endorsed by city council Wednesday as part of the a new drug strategy.

The city wants the province to fund the facility, which would be located outside Ottawa's downtown core.

"There's no question that there's a role for the province to play both financially and from a leadership perspective," said Watson, MPP for Ottawa West-Nepean.

But he said steps must be taken before Ontario will commit to providing that money.

"The first step is let's see what the need is, what's out there and how we go about putting a plan together … that hopefully will get approval from the provincial health ministers," he said. "I want to be able to put together a case that not only is the need there, and have the stats to back it up, but also that it makes good economic sense."

He noted that right now, youth are being shipped out of the region for treatment, and he wonders how many are treated out of province or outside the country.

Watson added that following his meeting with Mayor Larry O'Brien, Ottawa police Chief Vern White and chief medical officer of health David Salisbury early next week, a plan will be drafted and he will "help stick-handle" it through the provincial approval process.

Meanwhile, those who see drug users every day outside their downtown homes and businesses say the city is moving too slowly toward solutions to its drug problems.

George Chaiban, general manager of the Quality Hotel on Rideau Street, said officials often make promises, but "we need to see some action now."