The long-awaited sobering and assessment centre to provide short-term housing for people intoxicated with drugs or alcohol and treat their addictions was slated to open next month.
But the Northern Health facility won’t be located at the site originally planned when it was first announced nearly two years ago.
Carrier-Sekani Family Services has been chosen to operate the eight-10-bed temporary housing complex owned by BC Housing at 1133 Second Ave., between George Street and Queensway.
“They’re just finishing up some minor renovations at this point to get the spaces available and so by the end of July, for sure, that will be up and running,” said Penny Anguish, chief operating officer of Northern Interior Health.
“Right now they’re at a position where they just have to put up some walls between the bed spaces and that’s all that’s really left to do there. This one turned out a very suitable venue and it didn’t require nearly as much in terms of tenant improvement for the renovations.”
Originally planned for the BC Housing complex at 1201 First Ave., formerly the National Hotel, Anguish said the escalating costs of construction during the pandemic convinced Northern Health to look for an alternate site. The Second Avenue location is in closer proximity to other services that will benefit sobering centre clients.
The centre will provide short-term housing for intoxicated individuals in a safe environment where they can recover from the effects of alcohol or drugs. Right now, the only alternative for those individuals is to be locked up at the RCMP detachment until they are sober.
Anguish said staff recruiting is already well underway.
The province first announced its intention to build the sobering facility in October 2021 as part of a $132 million province-wide substance-use treatment program.
