SUPPORT FOR DRUG REHAB GLENWOOD SITE: OFFICIAL

After all the support that was phoned in on a radio morning talk show, Dan
Morand is even more convinced Glenwood has the right facility for a
Christian-based drug rehabilitation centre.

"I want that spot and I am not budging," said the provincial director for
Teen Challenge.

"I was on Open-Line Thursday and oh my goodness, no exaggeration, we
fielded close to 100 calls. The phone rang off the hook and it did not stop
ringing."

Many of these calls were ones of support. However, not everyone picked up
their receiver to phone in their pledge.

Partly due to some residents opposed to the idea, the Town of Glenwood had
a special closed-door meeting Wednesday to weigh the pros and cons of the
program setting up in the community, said Glenwood Mayor Janet Shaw. The
program's proposal is to use a hangar formerly owned by Canadian
Helicopters that is two kilometres away from the centre of town.

She said that meeting's outcome won't be known until the town's regular
Wednesday council meeting this week.

Mr. Morand said the program would turn the hangar and the land around it
into a facility that could house about a dozen or more clients, staff and
workshop areas. When asked how much it would cost to convert the hangar, he
couldn't say, only offering that Teen Challenge receives much of its
funding through donations.

He also said he did not know what sort of decision the town needs to make.
He will have to wait, along with everyone else.

"Mayor Shaw said she's going by the book."

Several Glenwood residents were contacted about their resistance to the
program. One said 276 Glenwood citizens signed a petition that did not
support the idea.

Glenwood resident Derrick Richards said that at one public meeting with Mr.
Morand, there was a handout that stated Teen Challenge does not accept men
with pending criminal charges.

Mr. Richards said a centre Web site contradicted that. The Prairie Hope
Centre had a posted a testimonial from a student, describing how he entered
the centre while still on bail, that had a long remand period. The young
man had yet to be tried.

Another man's testimonial stated he faced an eight-month jail sentence, but
was allowed to enter the program.

Mr. Morand said that's just nitpicking.

He said the Prairie Hope Centre was an organization that was formed before
it joined the larger, international group of Teen Challenge.

Mr. Morand said while the prairie centre had to change its rules before
joining, it still practises it's own style of helping its clients. That
facility is also located 45 minutes away from the community.

He said the same could be said for some other Teen Challenge centres. While
many share the same rules, a centre might run itself a bit differently,
depending on the demands of the community and province's laws and bylaws.

Mr. Morand said the paper handed out at the meeting only states what the
central Newfoundland centre would be about.

"For here, from my own personal experience, we would not accept (clients)
who are on parole, or on bail or anything like that. To me that doesn't
show the right reasons for people coming into our program."

Critics have also said Glenwood does not have the law enforcement and
medical resources to deal with the program's clients and the community is
too small to offer the clients anonymity.

On one of the addiction program's Web sites it states, applicants are
required to pass a medical exam and a police criminal record check before
being considered.

While some in Glenwood oppose the idea, when the program was considering
Gander for a locale, there was nary a peep from that town's population.

No problem Teen Challenge had looked at Gander's former youth assessment
centre, but later abandoned the idea after a deal fell through to buy the
building from the province, said Gander District MHA Kevin O'Brien.

However, that wasn't the case for the community of Manuels.

Teen Challenge once considered the town an ideal site, but turned away when
it faced opposition. Program officials have said they would not set up in a
community if there was enough opposed to it.

While on the radio Thursday, Mr. Morand said he was overwhelmed by support.

Mr. Morand said people called in from all over the province, asking that
Teen Challenge not leave. Some people even offered their community as a
home base for the drug and alcohol rehab program.

"I welcome the tremendous support, but we are committed to be in central
Newfoundland. But it is nice to get phone calls to say that you are wanted."

He added that before last week, many were quiet about how they felt about
the program, but now they are becoming more vocal.

"I think (people) were a little fed up about a very small group, but a very
loud group," that opposes the idea, he said.

He said some residents are also planning to hold a motorcade rally on
Saturday morning in support of the rehab centre.

Over the past month, two meetings were held to inform the public about Teen
Challenge. The first did not see a large turnout, so a second meeting was
held at the town's school gym. There, residents got the chance to question
Mr. Morand about the program.

Some residents said some of the director's responses to their questions
were not clear.

Mr. Morand said resistance is not uncommon.

"It's been a painful process we have to go through, every place we go," he
said.

He said if Glenwood does not work out, there are other communities which
have expressed interest in Teen Challenge.

Started up in the U.S. in the '50s, the organization offers its male
clients, ages 18 to 45 drug rehabilitation through education and spiritual
guidance. It has seven locations in Canada and 560 worldwide.

As stated on its Web site, some of the program's hallmarks include its high
success rate with its clients, with up to 80 per cent remaining drug free
after graduation. It does not receive any government funding and is
supported by individuals and in-kind corporate donations.