UPDATED: Alberta government opens up recovery community near Edmonton

The Alberta government said it is giving addicts the opportunity to pursue recovery by opening the doors to an addiction treatment centre near Edmonton. While the addictions crisis has ravaged Alberta, the government said long-term treatment capacity continues to grow through the construction of 11 recovery communities — the third of which opened its doors just outside Edmonton in summer 2024. The Lakeview Recovery Community (LRC) in Gunn, AB, welcomed its first clients and began operation on July 29. “There is hope in helping someone pursue recovery, and our government is proud to be focused on that,” said Alberta Premier Danielle Smith in a Thursday press release. “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.” In response, Smith said 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.” Alberta Mental Health and Addictions Minister Dan Williams said leaving people suffering with addictions is not an option. “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,” said Williams. Alberta Infrastructure Minister Peter Guthrie pointed out the opening of the LRC “marks an important milestone in our commitment to provide mental health and addiction supports to Alberta communities.”“We are proud to build infrastructure that provides crucial, long-term support for individuals seeking recovery,” said Guthrie. At each of the recovery communities, the Alberta government said clients participate in a program that averages around three months long. If necessary for clients to stay clean, it said they can stay for up to one year. All treatment services are provided at no cost. Programs address people’s addictions and help them rebuild their health, relationships, skills, and other aspects of their lives. With 75 designated treatment beds on site, the Alberta government said the LRC is expected to support up to 300 people every year in their pursuit of recovery. It was developed by renovating and expanding existing government-owned infrastructure formerly known as the McCullough Centre.The McCullough Centre was closed in 2021 due to the need for repairs, allowing for a full renovation of each cabin and the construction of a new dining hall. In total, the Alberta government spent $21 million for the LRC's construction. It will be operated by ROSC Solutions Group Inc. and will be home to the Recovery Training Institute of Alberta (RTIA). The RTIA is a provincial training hub for people employed within a recovery community or other treatment centre in Alberta.Moreover, the RTIA will provide an environment for hands-on learning with full immersion into addiction treatment work. Through it, the Alberta government said it is creating a workforce of people who are educated and trained in the sector. It has engaged in record spending and removed barriers to recovery-oriented supports for all Albertans, regardless of where they live or their financial situation. It has added more than 10,000 new publicly-funded addiction treatment spaces and expanded access to the Virtual Opioid Dependency Program to provide same-day access to lifesaving treatment medication.Smith followed up by saying the waitlists show the demand. “We have 11 recovery communities that we want to build out,” she said. “About 75 beds each.” However, she said it has not built out the entire system. That is part of why the demand for the recovery communities is enormous. The Alberta government broke ground on the $35 million Siksika Recovery Community (SRC) that will have 76 beds and place emphasis on indigenous culture in June. READ MORE: Alberta government breaks ground on $35 million recovery community in Siksika NationWilliams said it is “so important when we look at this beautiful landscape we have behind us today to understand it’s an integral part of the vision of the Siksika Nation on how they do recovery and treatment deeply integrated into their very proud and important First Nation culture.” “It is part of why they chose the location they did and why we had the blessing we did at the start,” said Williams.