LET'S MOVE ON NOW

Love it or loathe it, the site for Red Deer's detox centre and mat program
is a done deal.

The Municipal Planning Commission gave the green light this week to
locating the operation -- which has been plagued by controversy -- in the
former EXH Engineering Building (5409 -- 50th Avenue).

Few issues have raised such a furor in the community with open houses
attracting solid turnouts and emotional debate all around.

Arguments have run the gamut from the expected 'not in my backyard' pleas
to passionate defence of the site -- and with the approval ink now dry,
it's time to accept the operation's existence in downtown Red Deer.

The decision deserves a measure of respect and a chance to stand or fall --
emotional stances aside.

Nearby residents' concerns are valid and understandable -- particularly in
terms of the mat program.

That service doesn't necessarily attract people wanting help with their
addictions -- it's a place for drunk or high people to safely sober up.

But the concerns raised over safety of residents and plunging property
values have been tempered by the knowledge there is a growing need for this
kind of service in the city, set to begin this May.

And as to the mat program, does an addict's current lack of will eclipse
any shred of responsibility to provide shelter or assistance?

In the end, would any location in this city satisfy everyone?

It's a sensitive, contentious issue that taps into many areas of a
community's consciousness -- not just practical safety concerns, but
opinions on social responsibility.

How far is a community willing to go to help those with addictions?

Granted, it's an easy question to ask when one's residence or business is
far removed from the site -- but it's a question worth asking just the same.

During the search for a site, several locations were bandied about with
varying levels of seriousness, from the Scott Block or the Buffalo Hotel in
the downtown core to spots in Riverside Industrial Park, Riverside Meadows
or (least viable of all) the old Michener Building -- far from where
addicts are likely to congregate.

All were rejected for a range of reasons -- too close to businesses,
vigorous protest or a lack of available land to build on.

In the case of the Buffalo Hotel, costs of refurbishment were just too high
for the Safe Harbour Society to pursue it as a logical site.

MPC will re-visit the issue in one year -- gauging just how the project has
fit into the community.

Settling on the site is a step -- albeit a debatable one -- which deserves
a chance to be proven.

Red Deer is a growing city with the inevitable list of problems that
characteristic in itself brings.

In the meantime, let's focus on the positive impacts the detox centre will
no doubt have on the lives of those locked in addiction -- or at least
heading in that direction.