Labrador needs a new addictions centre now, says minister, but there will be a wait
Costs, timelines for new centre undetermined, says John Abbott
The construction of a new addictions treatment centre in Happy Valley-Goose Bay will go a long way to help people in need, says Mental Health and Addictions Minister John Abbott, but it's still a ways away.
The centre, announced Monday by Lake Melville MHA Perry Trimper in a CBC News interview, is part of dealing with addiction problems in Labrador through a long-term lens, he said.
Abbott said the province has long known about the need for this kind of centre in Labrador.
"We've all agreed that an addictions centre is timely, and we're going to use the model that we have, say, at Humberwood on the west coast," Abbott said Tuesday, referring to Corner Brook's Humberwood Treatment Centre.
"[We'll] use that type of model, but bring it to the community. To talk to them as to what they feel would be the most appropriate design for that service."
Abbott said the cost of the centre hasn't been determined yet but it will be built for a "manageable price." Discussions about what the facility will look like are ongoing, he said, and construction will take an estimated 18 months to two years.
"What we want to do in the meantime is to make sure if there are services in the community that we can make avail of for individuals, we will do that," he said.
Abbott said other plans for addiction support are also in development, including several community-based recovery facilities for when people exit addictions treatment. He said the model is still being worked on but hopes the province will announce plans in the fall.
The announcement comes as residents of Happy Valley-Goose Bay voice concerns about crime in the community.
Abbott said work is also continuing on a proposed housing facility in the town that would include addictions support. The project has faced criticism in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, with a petition calling for a detox and treatment centre instead of the proposed housing facility gathering 850 signatures.
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With files from Carolyn Stokes
