DETOX SIGNALS CITY'S GREAT LEAP OF FAITH

A while back I was invited to a birthday party for a Calgary businessman.

It was a 12-Step birthday for this fellow at a monthly Alcoholics
Anonymous birthday meeting.

He was celebrating his first birthday, one year of continuous
recovery from alcohol and drugs.

Three hundred and 65 days earlier his life looked like this: wife and
kids gone, his home lost, a career obliterated and no friends.

One year later, he was clean from all drugs and alcohol, his wife and
kids were back, his home returned, a new job had started with better
money and career opportunities, and the respect and admiration of his
friends returned.

This fellow had climbed back from the abyss to be a contributing and
productive member of society, loved and respected by his family,
friends and peers.

At the meeting he thanked his 12-Step friends for their love and
support. He also gratefully acknowledged the help and dedication of
the staff at Renfrew Detox Centre, a facility in Calgary that cared
for him during his darkest hour, and later provided important
referrals to assist him in moving forward with his life.

And now everyone is benefiting from this man's return to health.

What is important to remember is that this man was able to find the
road to recovery by utilizing the resources that were within reach in
his city, a phone call away.

This week Red Deer's temporary detox centre finally opened at 4809 48
Ave., an eight-bed facility for men and women who have mustered the
courage to take a critical leap of faith in their lives towards the
road of recovery.

The temporary facility, which will be staffed by two employees - 24
hours a day, seven days a week - will fulfill a need in the city
until the Safe Harbour Society opens its permanent 6,600 sq.-ft.
building later this fall. The permanent facility will have a 20-bed
detox and a 20-bed mat program.

"It (detox) will give Safe Harbour an opportunity to do what we have
been trying to do for several years now. It will provide such a
needed service in the community," said Stacey Carmichael, board
chairperson for the Safe Harbour Society.

"The people of Safe Harbour have been involved in this for years. It
is full speed ahead. I'm really excited."

The temporary facility is a humble but critically important beginning
for the society, which two years ago received a $750,000 grant from
the provincial government to open up the detox/mat program.

The society had great hopes and dreams for the city, but public
opposition due to fear and ignorance of addiction, nearly killed the project.

If a location wasn't found by the end of 2005 the province was set to
pull all the funding.

"Before Dec. 5 (final city approval) we had no idea Safe Harbour
would still even be around at the end of the month.

Yes, we could have lost everything," said Kath Hoffman, residential
director of the Safe Harbour Society, whose agency also operates the
overnight shelter at 4712 51 Ave. (formerly Andy's Place).

"It has been frustrating. You will hear people just say the dumbest
things as far as fear about addictions.

"When you hear that you go, 'How am I going to educate you enough to
get you over it to understand what it is we are trying to do?," said Hoffman.

"The thing I couldn't wrap my head around through this whole process
is why people could not see this as a solution.

"We rose out of a community need," she added. "We are sick and tired
of this drug business like everybody else, so lets do something about it."

Hoffman proudly points out Red Deer and area citizens now needing
professional help and support from addiction no longer have to look
to Calgary and Edmonton.

This year alone, before this week's opening of the temporary detox,
the Safe Harbour Society transported more than 100 people to detox
centres in the two larger cities.

However, funding was scarce and the society could only provide a
one-way ticket. The clients, many of them broke and destitute and
alone, had to figure out a way to get back to the Central Alberta city.

It was a discouraging way for recovery to get started.

"A lot of people will stay sick, or just say 'the hell with it," said Hoffman.

There is now no need for anyone in Red Deer to stay sick from the
horrors of addiction.

The detox centre is providing an important step towards recovery from
an illness that has no known cure.

Yes, there will no doubt still be bumps along the way for the detox.
For a while anyways there will also be some ongoing public concerns
over security and safety. The RCMP may even be called from time to
time about an unruly client.

But the positives of the project clearly outweigh any of the
potential negatives.

The detox is a vital service for the city, and many future clients
may just be like the Calgary man mentioned earlier -- a life saved
for the benefit of the entire community.

The program is a great leap forward for Red Deer, a city already rich
in economic and social opportunities.

But like anything else, progress can always be made.

The city's leap of faith of finally approving this project, after so
much trial and turbulence, has given hope to so many.

As a result, the soul of Red Deer is shining even brighter.

The Jonathan Clatter Award of Merit: To Stacey Carmichael, board
chairperson for the Safe Harbour Society, and everyone else at the
agency for their perseverance and determination in getting the detox
project up and running. Untold thousands of Red Deer citizens in the
future will always be grateful.