Alberta
Location for Red Deer Recovery Centre revealed. First clients will be accepted late this year.
News Releases from the Province of Alberta and the City of Red Deer
Red Deer recovery community moving ahead
A 10-acre parcel of land in north Red Deer will be the new home of the 75-bed recovery community.
Alberta’s government and the City of Red Deer worked together to pick the location within the Chiles Industrial Park, directly adjacent to Highway 2A. Construction of the recovery community is anticipated to start this fall.
“Supporting people to find their path to long-term recovery remains a commitment of our government – but we can’t reach this goal alone. 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.”
“Thanks to the work of officials at Alberta Infrastructure, in partnership with the City of Red Deer, we are another step closer to having a new home to better support Albertans suffering from addictions on their path to recovery.”
Recovery communities, also known as therapeutic communities, are a form of long-term residential treatment for addiction and used in more than 65 countries around the world.
“The identification of the location of the future therapeutic community marks an important 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.”
“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.”
“Addictions have the capacity to disconnect our wills and rob us of the power to decide, inflicting suffering on ourselves, our families and communities. I’m proud to be part of a government focused on supporting Albertans seeking to become free from addictions. 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!”
Alberta’s government is committed to a recovery-oriented system of care that provides easy access to a full continuum of services. A $140-million investment over four years is supporting the addition of new publicly funded treatment spaces; the elimination of daily user fees for publicly funded residential addiction treatment; and services to reduce harm, such as the Digital Overdose Prevention System app, the introduction of nasal naloxone kits and the expansion of opioid agonist therapy.
This $140-million commitment is in addition to the more than $800 million Alberta Health Services spends annually to provide mental health and addiction services in communities across the province.
Quick facts
- Alberta’s government is investing in mental health and addictions:
- $140 million over four years to enhance the mental health and addiction care system and create more publicly funded treatment spaces. This funding includes $40 million specifically to support the opioid response.
- More than $53 million to implement more online, phone and in-person mental health and addiction recovery supports to make it easier for Albertans to access services from anywhere in Alberta during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
- For anyone using opioids, naloxone kits are available free of charge at pharmacies across the province. Call 911 in an emergency.
- The Addiction Helpline, a 24-7 confidential toll-free service, at 1-866-332-2322, can provide support, information and referral to services. Treatment can also start right away by calling the Virtual Opioid Dependency Program (VODP) seven days per week at 1-844-383-7688.
From the City of Red Deer
Province finalizes site for future therapeutic community
The future location for a therapeutic community in Red Deer was announced today, with the Provincial Government identifying 10 acres of land within the Chiles Industrial Park as the future site in Red Deer. The facility, announced on June 18, 2020, will be home to 75 treatment beds and will provide long-term residential treatment to individuals struggling with addiction.
- Where will the future therapeutic community be located?The 10 acres of land identified for development of the Provincial residential treatment community is located approximately one kilometre north of Highway 11A and Gaetz Avenue, in the Chiles Industrial Park, directly adjacent to Highway 2A in north Red Deer.
- How was the location chosen?The Province of Alberta and City of Red Deer worked collaboratively to select a location that responds to the long-standing need for residential treatment in Red Deer. The site was selected as there is enough available land for the self-contained facility, it is away from the urban core but still accessible to community services such as health care, and is vacant and able to be temporarily developed within the timeframe needed.
Ten acres of land located in the Chiles Industrial Park in north Red Deer was identified as the future site for the facility. This site respects the needs of future clients, businesses, residents and the entire community in mind.
- Who owns the land, which is designated for the future therapeutic community?Formerly owned by The City of Red Deer, the Province of Alberta signed an agreement to purchase the land from The City of Red Deer with the intent to build a therapeutic community. The agreement is in place for five to ten years, and if the Government of Alberta chooses to move the facility to another site, the land will return to The City of Red Deer.
- When will the land be developed?The transfer of the land will occur on or before fall of 2021, with the Province currently indicating it plans to start accepting clients by the end of the year. Development is expected to begin this summer.
- What zoning and approval processes are needed before development can proceed?The Province of Alberta has indicated they intend to get the facility up and running as quickly as possible, and will be responsible for zoning and policy considerations. Citizens with questions or concerns about approvals and development processes can reach out to the Ministry of Infrastructure, or to our local MLAs (Mr. Jason Stephan, MLA for Red Deer South or the Honourable Adriana LaGrange, MLA for Red Deer North: www.assembly.ab.ca/members/members-of-the-legislative-assembly).
- Who will operate the future therapeutic community?The site will be owned by the Province, and operated by an accredited agency. The Provincial Government will be launching a formal request for proposal (RFP) process to select an agency to operate the facility.
- How much will the future therapeutic community cost?The estimated cost for the future facility is still to be determined, with all funding coming from The Province of Alberta as part of its economic recovery plan. There is no City of Red Deer operating investment into this facility. The City, however is contributing in-kind capital contributions through a utility connection to bring water and sewer servicing to the development as well as providing some additional landscaping for the area.
From The Mayor of Red Deer
Mayor Veer responds to Provincial therapeutic community announcement on behalf of City Council
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.
Located approximately one kilometer north of Highway 11A and Gaetz Avenue in the Chiles Industrial Park, directly adjacent to Highway 2A and 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 in mind. This location also repurposes underutilized public lands.
Development is expected to occur this summer, with all further development processes and approvals now under the jurisdiction of the Province of Alberta.
On behalf of my fellow members of Council, I would like to extend our thanks to the Government of Alberta for hearing us and fulfilling this long-standing imperative for our community, and for supporting us in our call for securing a residential treatment site in Red Deer.
Citizens with questions or concerns about approvals and development processes can reach out to the Ministry of Infrastructure, or to our local MLAs (Mr. Jason Stephan, MLA for Red Deer South or the Honourable Adriana LaGrange, MLA for Red Deer North: www.assembly.ab.ca/members/members-of-the-legislative-assembly).”
Show your Alberta side. Buy Local. |
When the going gets tough, Albertans stick together. That’s why Alberta’s government is launching a new campaign to benefit hard-working Albertans.
Global uncertainty is threatening the livelihoods of hard-working Alberta farmers, ranchers, processors and their families. The ‘Buy Local’ campaign, recently launched by Alberta’s government, encourages consumers to eat, drink and buy local to show our unified support for the province’s agriculture and food industry.
The government’s ‘Buy Local’ campaign encourages consumers to buy products from Alberta’s hard-working farmers, ranchers and food processors that produce safe, nutritious food for Albertans, Canadians and the world.
“It’s time to let these hard-working Albertans know we have their back. Now, more than ever, we need to shop local and buy made-in-Alberta products. The next time you are grocery shopping or go out for dinner or a drink with your friends or family, support local to demonstrate your Alberta pride. We are pleased tariffs don’t impact the ag industry right now and will keep advocating for our ag industry.”
Alberta’s government supports consumer choice. We are providing tools to help folks easily identify Alberta- and Canadian-made foods and products. Choosing local products keeps Albertans’ hard-earned dollars in our province. Whether it is farm-fresh vegetables, potatoes, honey, craft beer, frozen food or our world-renowned beef, Alberta has an abundance of fresh foods produced right on our doorstep.
Quick facts
- This summer, Albertans can support local at more than 150 farmers’ markets across the province and meet the folks who make, bake and grow our food.
- In March 2023, the Alberta government launched the ‘Made in Alberta’ voluntary food and beverage labelling program to support local agriculture and food sectors.
- Through direct connections with processors, the program has created the momentum to continue expanding consumer awareness about the ‘Made in Alberta’ label to help shoppers quickly identify foods and beverages produced in our province.
- Made in Alberta product catalogue website
Related information
Alberta
Province to expand services provided by Alberta Sheriffs: New policing option for municipalities
Expanding municipal police service options |
Proposed amendments would help ensure Alberta’s evolving public safety needs are met while also giving municipalities more options for local policing.
As first announced with the introduction of the Public Safety Statutes Amendment Act, 2024, Alberta’s government is considering creating a new independent agency police service to assume the police-like duties currently performed by Alberta Sheriffs. If passed, Bill 49 would lay additional groundwork for the new police service.
Proposed amendments to the Police Act recognize the unique challenges faced by different communities and seek to empower local governments to adopt strategies that effectively respond to their specific safety concerns, enhancing overall public safety across the province.
If passed, Bill 49 would specify that the new agency would be a Crown corporation with an independent board of directors to oversee its day-to-day operations. The new agency would be operationally independent from the government, consistent with all police services in Alberta. Unlike the Alberta Sheriffs, officers in the new police service would be directly employed by the police service rather than by the government.
“With this bill, we are taking the necessary steps to address the unique public safety concerns in communities across Alberta. As we work towards creating an independent agency police service, we are providing an essential component of Alberta’s police framework for years to come. Our aim is for the new agency is to ensure that Albertans are safe in their communities and receive the best possible service when they need it most.”
Additional amendments would allow municipalities to select the new agency as their local police service once it becomes fully operational and the necessary standards, capacity and frameworks are in place. Alberta’s government is committed to ensuring the new agency works collaboratively with all police services to meet the province’s evolving public safety needs and improve law enforcement response times, particularly in rural communities. While the RCMP would remain the official provincial police service, municipalities would have a new option for their local policing needs.
Once established, the agency would strengthen Alberta’s existing policing model and complement the province’s current police services, which include the RCMP, Indigenous police services and municipal police. It would help fill gaps and ensure law enforcement resources are deployed efficiently across the province.
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