Years after the Alberta government closed a facility west of Edmonton that supported homeless men with addiction issues, the province has reopened a new treatment centre at the same site.
The province unveiled the Lakeview Recovery Community in Gunn, Alta., on Thursday afternoon.
Touted as a “recovery community,” the facility offers a program three months to one year in length that addresses a person’s addiction while helping them rebuild their health, relationships and other skills.
Treatment is provided at no cost to residents.
“The goal of recovery communities like this one is that each client leaves drug-free and ready to begin jobs or training with the help of strong connections close to home,” Premier Danielle Smith said in a news release.
“Recovery communities are making a difference in the lives of many Albertans facing addiction, and impacting countless more as they reunite with those they love on a new path forward in recovery.”
There are 75 beds on site. The province expects to support up to 300 people at the centre each year.
“Leaving people to suffer in addiction is not an option,” Minister of Mental Health and Addiction Dan Williams said in a statement. “We are going to continue working hard in building a recovery-oriented system of care, one that focuses on the needs of each person and helping them overcome the disease of addiction.”
The Lakeview Recovery Community is operated out of the former McCullough Centre. The centre, which offered addiction treatment for homeless men, was shut down by the Alberta government in early 2021. The move was criticized by residents and staff of the facility. More than 60 jobs were cut.
At the time, the province said the decision to close the centre was for cost-effectiveness. The closure was expected to save more than $3 million per year.
The province’s 2022 budget outlined funds to renovate and expand the existing government-owned infrastructure.
The province said all of the cabins were fully renovated and a new dining hall was constructed. The Alberta government invested $21 million in construction.
“The opening of the Lakeview Recovery Community marks an important milestone in our commitment to provide mental health and addiction supports to Alberta communities,” Infrastructure Minister Pete Guthrie said in a statement. “We are proud to build infrastructure that provides crucial, long-term support for individuals seeking recovery.”
The Gunn facility is one of 11 recovery communities planned in Alberta. Similar communities are already open in Red Deer and Lethbridge, and plans are in place to open recovery communities in Calgary, Grande Prairie and Edmonton. The province said five additional recovery communities are being built “in direct partnership with Indigenous communities.”
“Our facility is designed to offer a safe, supportive, and therapeutic environment where residents receive individualized care to achieve lasting recovery,” Lakeview Recovery Community executive director Lindsey Hague said in a statement.
The Lakeview Recovery Community opened on July 29.