Advocates keen on Kinew’s detox centre pledge

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This article was published 16/11/2018 (1985 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

BY MICHAEL LEE

Advocates for a detox centre in Brandon are reacting positively to a promise from Manitoba NDP leader Wab Kinew, who pledged Thursday to bring in a facility if elected.

Kinew outlined his party’s priorities Thursday in an alternate throne speech, a response to the provincial government’s upcoming speech from the throne next Tuesday.

Founder of Westman Families of Addicts Danielle Lalonde said she was “beyond ecstatic” to hear about the detox centre and supported Kinew’s additional promise to create a new cabinet position, a minister of addictions and mental health.

“That’s the number one thing we’ve (been) saying for all along, is to bring a detox (centre) to Brandon,” she said. “They would have my support 100 per cent if that’s what they were doing. I really love the thought.”

Lalonde, who was present at last month’s opening of a Rapid Access to Addictions Medicine clinic in Brandon, said she has tried to remain as non-partisan as she can, adding that this could serve as an opportunity to educate people on addictions and decrease the stigma attached to it.

Others like Kim Longstreet, who has hosted forums on addiction and founded the RJ Streetz Foundation, named after her son who is struggling with a methamphetamine addiction, said she did have concerns about the potential backlash and wondered how the NDP would pay for a detox centre.

“I think what we need to do is learn from the steps that anybody who wants to do a facility like this has done in the past, and the thing that you need to do is you always need to involve your community first,” she said.”

Longstreet said she was pleased, however, with anyone prepared to provide services for people struggling with a substance-use disorder, noting that the Liberals and governing Progressive Conservatives have tried to address the situation as well.

“So the work that is being done right now by all concerned to bring these resources to the places that are needed is very promising,” she added.

Antoinette Gravel-Ouellette, who chairs the addictions advisory committee for the Canadian Mental Health Association Westman Region, which is currently going through a name change, said no matter which party is in power or which organization chooses to take on a detox centre, it is still a need in the community.

“I think the more awareness is raised around what the situation is, then people are more understanding,” she said.

The NDP has estimated the cost to build the detox centre at $2 million, along with an additional $500,000-$750,000 to operate.

Kinew said the party looked at similar facilities in Winnipeg and based its estimates on the assumption that an existing building would be renovated, which would move the process along more quickly.

To cover the costs, Kinew said he would use the $181.6 million in federal funding, announced last year for addictions and mental health, to pay for it.

Kinew said he would like to have a detox centre ready within a year.

“It doesn’t make much sense to me, and the people that I’ve talked to, if you want to start getting clean that you have to drive two hours down the highway to Winnipeg to get to a detox facility.”

To avoid the possible pushback in the community, as evidenced by the proposed Bruce Oake Recovery Centre in Winnipeg, Kinew said he recognizes that as a politician, he can’t dictate to Brandonites where a detox centre should go.

And while there may be a broad consensus in Brandon for it, Kinew said he would listen to the residents and give them a say as to where a detox centre should go.

In a statement, Minister of Health, Seniors and Active Living Cameron Friesen said the Virgo report released this year found that Manitoba has a “poorly coordinated, fragmented system” that failed to make the proper investments in mental health and addictions services.

“Our government is now doing the work the NDP did not do by modernizing the system and creating the necessary capacity to treat Manitobans struggling with their mental health and addiction,” he said.

“We have opened Rapid Access to Addictions Medicine clinics across the province, including in Brandon, while adding mental health and treatment beds to the health system. We have also asked for proposals from private residential treatment facilities within Manitoba who can take on complex cases, allowing clients to focus on their recovery and not on travelling out of province to receive the care they need. We look forward to sharing more details of our work on improving addictions services for Manitobans in the weeks and months ahead.”

» mlee@brandonsun.com

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