Year 2015 is turning into one of Scientology’s worst nightmare years for leader, David Miscavige. Earlier today, ICI Radio-Canada news reports that: “The Ontario Municipal Board rejects the project of the Church of Scientology detox center in Milton, near Toronto.” This is a ‘Strike Three’ scenario recently for the dangerous Narconons attempting to open around the globe that concerned citizens are not welcoming a cult drug rehab center in their back yard.
In 2013 Narconon had tried unsuccessfully to buy a property north of Toronto to open a new Narconon, but residents launched a mobilization campaign to block the project, stating “No Narconon” in our community. Another person purchased the property leaving Scientology’s ‘Social Betterment Properties International’ out in the cold with no recourse.
Although the Town of Milton refused to grant a permit for the opening of a Narconon rehab center, citing its zoning rules, director of planning, Barbara Koopmans stated: "We welcome them in an urban area, where they have immediate access to roads, hospitals and emergency services."
However, informed citizens of Ontario and the Ontario College of Physicians are hesitant to allow such a controversial and dangerous drug rehab center into their Province. It has been alleged time and again that Narconon has violated human rights, committed fraud, held clients against their will, forced labour without pay, wrongful deaths inside the centers, and numerous other allegations that Narconon is now facing in 30-40 lawsuits.
On Feb. 6, 2014, the ‘Leader Newspaper’ in Australia reported that “VCAT rejects Narconon bid for East Warburton drug rehab centre” - VCAT refused to overturn a Yarra Ranges Council decision to reject Narconon’s application for a planning permit. A campaign from the ‘Say No to Narconon group’ were vigilant in opposing Scientology’s Narconon, providing the ‘Leader’ with police reports that cited police being called to attend incidents at the East Warburton [Narconon] site 33 times since 2005, including one incident where a patient threatened staff with an axe.
One week ago on June 2, 2015, in Frederick, Maryland, 'The Washington Post' announced that council members voted down 6 to 1 against the ‘historic’ designation of a property called ‘Trout Run’ that would have allowed a Narconon to open under the guise of a so-called, Group Home. A large group formed on Facebook called, ‘No Narconon at Trout’ Run’ – diligently worked long hours to inform the citizens of Frederick and council members about the dangers of Narconon that were attempting to infiltrate into their community.
The Frederick Council Members, after examining reams of documents, and comparing Trout Run to other similar properties, made a firm decision that this property did not fit the ‘historic’ criteria – not being any more special than numerous other properties similar to Trout Run.
It appears for now, at least, that David Miscavige’s dream of ‘Ideal Narconons’ has withered away in the wind. ‘Scooter’ from ESMB posted an interesting comment about “these would be a place for wealthy clientele to go to dry out in absolute privacy - a "celebrity" Narconon. Scooter was the Executive Director at ANZO, and said that something similar to ‘Ideal Narconons’ were pitched to him in the past as “"luxury" and "upstat" centers but within two years it had basically disappeared from view.
“It’s a losing strategy,” Scooter says, “that's only just started really happening. I thought even David Miscavige would have forgotten this losing strategy from nearly ten years ago - but it shows one just how stuck in the past Scientology really is.”
And with three recent Narconon opening attempts being a huge fail, it looks like, for now, that Scientologists Tom Cruise, John Travolta, and Kirstie Alley won’t be touring a new “Ideal Narconon” anytime soon now that Frederick, Ontario, and the Australians have said “No to Narconon” in their communities.
