Red Deer Mayor Tara Veer applauds Premier Jason Kenney in July 2020 during an announcement that the city would become home to a new recovery community built and paid for by the provincial government. (Government of Alberta)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

addressing a long-standing need

Province selects north end location for Red Deer’s recovery centre

Jun 11, 2021 | 10:37 AM

A 75-bed recovery community will be located on the northern edge of Red Deer.

A 10-acre parcel of land in the Chiles Industrial Park, directly adjacent to Highway 2A, will be home to the eventual facility, for which provincial funding was announced last year.

“Supporting people to find their path to long-term recovery remains a commitment of our government – but we can’t reach this goal alone,” Jason Luan, Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, said in a release Friday. “Thank you to the City of Red Deer for their dedication to working together to find a site that considers the needs of those seeking support, businesses, local residents and the community as a whole.”

The province’s commitment announced last July is $5 million.

Mayor Tara Veer said the province has signed an agreement to purchase the aforementioned land, with the agreement for the facility lasting five to ten years.

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If the province chooses to relocate the facility, the land will return to The City of Red Deer.

Veer also notes there is no operating investment on the part of The City, though in-kind capital contributions will occur through a utility connection to bring water and sewer servicing to the development.

“The identification of this land marks the next step towards a solution to many of the health and social challenges our community has contended with for years due to lack of comprehensive health and social infrastructure and programming in our city and region. This project will help respond to the long-standing need for local residential addictions treatment to help address community impacts of the national drug crisis,” says Veer.

“Located … outside the urban core, this site respects the anticipated needs of future clients who are being treated for their addictions, while considering the needs of businesses and the entire community. This location also repurposes underutilized public lands.”

Construction will begin in the fall, according to the province.

“This announcement means we are one step closer to adding this life-saving support to our community. While new to Alberta, recovery communities have proven to be effective in helping individuals reach long-term addiction recovery. I look forward to the positive difference this new support will have,” said Red Deer-North MLA Adriana LaGrange.

Red Deer-South MLA Jason Stephan noted that addictions have the capacity to disconnect our wills and rob us of the power to decide.

“I’m proud to be part of a government focused on supporting Albertans seeking to become free from addictions,” he said. “Recovery communities are special places, where individuals love and serve each other in their individual journeys to recovery. These are places of miracles, blessing and healing our neighbours, families and communities. This is very exciting news!”

The recovery community for Red Deer is one of five being built in the province, and is expected to create 35 to 50 permanent jobs once operational.

RELATED: ‘Recovery community’ for addiction treatment announced for Red Deer