FACILITY BRINGS HOPE TO ADDICTED YOUTH

Susie Ruttan cleared the lump in her throat as she spoke, it has been
almost 10 years to the day that she was forced to send her own son
across the country for help.

"We had to send our boy on a journey thousands of miles away from our
home because the service that he so desperately needed in British
Columbia simply wasn't available," said Ruttan, at a ribbon cutting
ceremony on Thursday celebrating a construction milestone at The
Crossing at Keremeos, a youth treatment facility. "Finally, young
people in B.C. struggling to overcome addiction will have access to
programming in their home province."

The Crossing is a long-term residential treatment centre for youth
located in Keremeos and thanks to the Ruttan family's determination
to be heard, B.C. is no longer one of the few jurisdictions in Canada
without one.

Ruttan and her husband sent their son, who was dealing with both
addiction and a bi-polar disorder, to a Portage facility in Ontario
to get help. It was the only choice they had, but within the next few
months youth from B.C. will be welcomed to The Crossing at Keremeos
for treatment at no cost.

Construction crews remain busy at the scenic 58-acre Keremeos
property, but the completion of the Ashnola Lodge, a residential
building that will provide accommodation for 42 youth along with
space for programs, is a important benchmark for those who were
involved in the partnership that brought this idea to life.

Out of the Ruttans' frustrations, they formed a group called From
Grief to Action to help other families deal with a child's addiction.
Nine years ago Rob Ruttan gave an interview on CBC that essentially
prompted Central City Foundation, a charitable group from Vancouver
that deals with the issues of homelessness and addiction, to purchase
a piece of land in the hopes that they would be able to develop
partnerships to create a youth addiction treatment centre.

The Crossing at Keremeos property will be leased at no cost to
provide treatment for up to 42 youth, aged 14-18, who will live on
site for between six months to a year, depending on their needs.

Residents will participate in a program developed by the Portage
Program for drug dependencies which focuses on group therapy and
physical activity. The youth attending The Crossing will also be able
to complete their high school education and receive vocational counselling.

Residents of Keremeos have shown slight concerns related to negative
experiences in the past with youth treatment programs. Health
Services Minister George Abbott said this facility has a whole
different dynamic because the youth residing at The Crossing will be
there voluntarily.

"Some of the village residents may have had concerns like when young
offenders were at one time held here, but no one is going to be held
here. This is going to be a voluntary facility - this will be young
people who have recognized, or a parent recognized, that they need a
long-term residential facility to help them get away from the cycle
of addiction that they are locked into," said Abbott.

Abbott said youth are being transferred to programs in both Quebec
and New Brunswick, but by this March or April, he expects that they
will be able to receive treatment at The Crossing. He said most of
the residents will be from Vancouver Health Authority but the
partners have been working with Interior Health to make arrangements
so the facility can also be accessed by the youth in their region on
a fee-for-service basis where appropriate.

"Today, young people in B.C. are exposed to alcohol and drugs at an
earlier age than ever, putting them at greater risk of developing
addictions," said Vancouver Coastal Health president and CEO Ida Goodreau.

"Having a long-term residential treatment centre will be essential to
reducing the health and social impacts addiction has on these young
people, their families and communities."

Funding for the project is coming from Vancouver Coastal Health and
Fraser Health who are providing $2.4 million in annual operating
funding. Interior Health will provide urgent or emergent medical
services required by the residents of the centre.

Contributors to the capital campaign include the province with a $2
million grant, the Central City Foundation with a $1 million
contribution, private individual and corporate donors, foundations,
the health authorities and the Okanagan Similkameen Regional Hospital District.

Susie and Rob Ruttan were one of the forces behind bringing the first
long-term youth residential addictions treatment centre to B.C. The
Crossing at Keremeos celebrated a major milestone on Thursday.