SURREY EYES PRIVATE DRUG REHAB

Part of Crime-Reduction Strategy for City

A private-sector group in Surrey is "keen" to finance a "medium-sized"
drug-treatment centre, Mayor Dianne Watts said yesterday.

Watts, in a meeting with The Province's editorial board, said planning
is in the early stages.

"The private sector is keen to step forward. It's really important to
have their involvement," she said.

"If we're going to help our youth, we need to have treatment centres
up and running. This is a key piece of our overall crime-reduction
strategy."

The facility would model itself after the non-profit Phoenix Centre,
due to open soon near the Surrey Memorial Hospital.

The Phoenix Centre is one of the first projects to combine clinical
addiction services with safe transitional housing, employment and
education services for about 100 people per year.

Watts said the new plan could involve a deal where Surrey would
provide the land. The private sector would pay capital costs and most
of the operating costs. A location hasn't been announced.

Watts also identified transportation and congestion as her
municipality's top concerns.

The issue is not one Surrey can solve by itself, she said. It has to
work through TransLink, now undergoing a provincial review of how it
is run.

Watts thinks part of the problem is that the provincial government
hasn't occupied the three seats allocated to it on the TransLink board.

"There needs to be representation from the provincial government at
the TransLink board and I believe there should be federal
representation at the TransLink board as well," said Watts.

"It's amazing. TransLink has their transportation plan, the province
has their transportation plan and the feds have their transportation
plan as well," she said. "Yet they don't all come together and work
with one another to make sure everybody is on the same page.

"It's very disjointed."