ROBSONS CLOSE RECOVERY HOUSE

It was supposed to be a start to provide hope and help to kids wired on
crystal meth.

But the project started by Maple Ridge Mayor Gordy Robson and his wife,
Mary, died before it was born.

An e-mail earlier this month from the Fraser Health Authority saw to that.

The couple who led the formation of the Maple Ridge crystal meth task force
two years ago wanted to open a residential treatment facility for young
crystal meth addicts, kids from 13 to 19 years old.

The Robsons formed the Lifeline Society to operate it while they funded it,
provided the house, hired two staff and had their first client booked. The
home actually opened Dec. 1.

But after being notified that the home needed to be licensed under the
Community Care and Assisted Living Act, the Robsons closed it down.

Staff and fellow councillors at the District of Maple Ridge agreed it
wouldn't look good for the mayor to be breaking the rules, Gordy said.

The facility was just a trial project until June. If it worked and was
financially sustainable, it would have closed and two more centres based on
the same model would open in Maple Ridge, one each for male and female clients.

With a capacity of five beds and charging $3,000 a month, the home was
intended to operate on a break-even basis.

According to Mary Robson, the couple hadn't even intended on applying for a
licence because the home would have been operating as a private boarding
school and also would have focused on education.

"We've been planning this for some time, even before he [Gordy] considered
running for council," Mary said.

The Fraser Health Authority saw otherwise and said in order to be licensed
as drug treatment home, renovations would be needed to widen the stairs,
lower the height of the windows, increase the size of the rooms and install
a sprinkling system.

MLA Randy Hawes wants to see the home open somehow.

"We are interested in seeing this facility go ahead. At the same time, we
don't want to tell Fraser Health that they have to contravene the law.

"Kids are dying out there. We've got to do something," he said.

Hawes wants to arrange a meeting with Robson and the licensing division of
the health authority to see if it's possible to get the home licensed.

He said what isn't clear is whether the act, rewritten in 2002 to give more
flexibility, is still too inflexible. It may need to be relaxed more.

Simrita Johal-Virk, spokesperson for the health authority, said Fraser
Health wants to support community drug treatment programs, but its first
priority is safety. She said the health authority is trying to arrange a
meeting with the mayor.

Robson said there are virtually no treatment facilities for addicted youth.

Fifty such facilities are needed, he said.

Neither Hawes nor the health authority knew the precise number space for
detoxification of beds for youth in the Fraser Valley, but the MLA said
there are least six residential spaces in Surrey.

However, those often go unused, he said.

Had he not been in office, Gordy Robson said he would have ignored the
Fraser Health Authority and kept the facility open.

"I would have dared them to put me in jail for helping kids."