Alberta's fourth addiction recovery community to open in Calgary this summer
Wilson said more capacity is needed across the province to take the pressure off Alberta's big urban centres.
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'A lot of the people in the urban centres come from the rurals, so if we can start moving them back out to more towards their communities, it's going to take some pressure off of the big centres like Edmonton and Calgary and Red Deer as well,' said Wilson, who became the Mental Health and Addictions minister on May 16 as part of Premier Danielle Smith's cabinet shuffle.
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Wilson said he will ask federal Indigenous Services Canada Minister Mandy Gull-Masty for funding for the recovery communities.
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'On First Nations especially, they should be doing more,' said Wilson, adding he's hopeful the federal government will step up.
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'They've demonstrated they've got that experience and they've got the capacity to deliver that addiction treatment, especially with a special focus on more vulnerable populations,' he said.
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'I'm confident, because of their track record, they'll do a good job.'
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Ryan Gilfillan, Last Door's program director, said the society has been running a drug and alcohol treatment centre in B.C.'s Lower Mainland for about 40 years, and the Alberta government's holistic, therapeutic approach to recovery aligns closely with that of the non-profit.
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'You're looking at the whole person instead of that acute, short-term stabilization and then release,' said Gilfillan.
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'We're looking at long-term treatment, with residents needing care from anywhere from 90 days to up to a year.'
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The model emphasizes mutual self-help and peer support, and that residents are actively involved in the community, said Gilfillan.
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'That's the whole idea around a recovery community, is they're in a community and they're participating in it in the same way they would in social settings,' he said, adding clients have responsibilities, which increase as they move through treatment.
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'When they leave treatment, they're kind of set up in that way of how society operates.'
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Last Door is already familiar with Calgary, having treated many Calgarians and Albertans at its B.C. facility and running many alumni events in the city. Last year, Last Door organized a 'Sober Stampede' event.
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'It will be nice to have a facility here where someone won't have to travel to another province to have to access their care,' said Gilfillan.
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The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors The province reported Monday that it has seen 1,314 cases since the beginning of March. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported 1,288 cases so far this year across 39 states, though case numbers are updated weekly with the next update expected on Wednesday. The outbreak of the highly contagious disease hasn't led to any deaths so far in Alberta, but three people, including two children, have died in the United States. 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