CITY SUCKER PUNCHED BUT STILL LACKS DETOX CENTRE

The Editor,

I have just left city hall and the presentation to council by Mike Wilson
of Phoenix Recovery Centre.

I am thoroughly disgusted that this will even go to public hearing. Since
Jan. 9, 2003, Wilson has been broadcasting his proposal which contained a
medical detox. Now that he has 80 per cent of the $5 million needed for
this centre, where is the detox? Nowhere. He does not plan to have one.

He might have a social detox. Now I have been working in the recovery
industry for over 14 years and I have never heard of a social detox. What
we have here is a glorified recovery house. City hall never asked him if he
planned to have federal beds. He never went to the nearby seniors home to
see if they approved. So unless this city rises and gets out to the public
hearing Jan. 26, the City of Surrey will have a $5 million recovery house
to add to the dozens that already exist.

We need the promised detox, not another recovery house. All I can say is
that the City of Surrey has just been sucker punched with a $5-million project.

Christine Eden Surrey