FIRE SLOWS PLAN FOR TREATMENT CENTRE

Plans to create a drug and alcohol treatment centre at a former provincial
corrections camp outside of Mission may have gone up in smoke after a fire
destroyed the administration building at the Boulder Bay camp.

But that may not be the only obstacle to creating the addictions treatment
centre, said Mission Mayor Abe Neufeld.

"The realization we're coming to is that the road to the camp is very
difficult, and Pacific Community Resource Society is having a hard time
getting funding for the project," Neufeld said recently.

Initially, the District of Mission was going to take ownership of the
40-year-old camp, if a group could be found to operate the facility as a
treatment centre for teens.

The Pacific Society is a good candidate to oversee such a centre as they
have experience in treatment and administration, said the mayor.

Another treatment centre would add significantly to the inventory of a
handful of beds that are available for teenagers in the Lower Mainland
outside of Vancouver at a publically-run facility in New Westminster, where
there is always a waiting list.

The B.C. Building Corporation was prepared to "let [Boulder Bay] go back to
nature," but Neufeld wasn't prepared to let $350,000 worth of buildings,
including dormitories, kitchen, a gym, classrooms and other amenities go to
back to nature.

However, federal and provincial funding for drug treatment programs, while
promised through initiatives such as the Vancouver Accord that is supposed
to fund "four pillar" approaches, is "as slow as molasses in coming," said
Neufeld.

The fire at Boulder Bay, which happened some time in the past month, didn't
help.

Abbotsford school trustee Uultsje DeJong and Salvation Army staff went to
visit the camp recently.

"They loved it. Everybody who goes up there loves it," Neufeld said.

Beyond finding a philanthropist who is willing to keep the road to the camp
maintained and to provide some funding, the mayor said he's running out of
ideas. However, an addictions treatment centre for youth remains a
priority. Other sites such as in Keremeos are being considered, he added.