UNIQUE ADDICTION CENTRE OPENS IN WHALLEY

Dressed conservatively in a blue dress shirt and pleated black pants,
Stephen shows off his new bachelor suite at Phoenix Centre, an
addiction treatment centre at 13686 94A Ave. which hosted an official
opening ceremony Thursday.

Books on spirituality are propped on the nightstand beside his neatly
made single bed while a kitchenette, sitting area and bathroom fill
the rest of the 400-sq.-ft. space he has lived in since the beginning of April.

The 37-year-old's current accommodations are a far cry from the
places he slept while living on the streets of Toronto and Vancouver.
Growing up in a single-parent home, Stephen, who declined to give his
last name, struggled with drug and alcohol dependency and depression
throughout his adult life.

When he found himself on the Lions' Gate Bridge, a shotgun in hand in
2005, Stephen knew he had to get help.

Connecting with Surrey's Phoenix Drug and Alcohol and Recovery and
Education Society and now getting a spot in the new centre has been
crucial to his recovery.

"It's changed my life on every level inside and out," he said.
"Breaking the cycle of addiction is very hard without support."

Funded through a partnership between the federal and provincial
governments, Vancity, and donations from businesses and community
organizations, the $10.9-million centre has 26 stabilizing beds for
people to get their addictions or mental illnesses under control; 36
transitional units for residents to stay while they put their lives
back together; and common areas for them to connect with each other
and attend group sessions.

Only open for a month, there is already a waiting list for the
stabilizing beds, said Michael Wilson, Phoenix society's executive
director. That means more than 100 people are turned away per month.

The 46,000-sq.-ft. facility also addresses a serious gap in Surrey's
social services, as identified in the city's newly adopted social
plan. It could also help decrease criminal activity in the city, as
drug and alcohol addiction is a factor in as much as 70 to 90 per
cent of crimes, according to 2001 Statistics Canada estimates.

Also part of the facility is the Phoenix Kwantlen Learning Centre,
which will allow residents to improve their math and literacy skills
and complete academic courses in preparation for post-secondary
education or training.

Stephen is taking advantage of such opportunities, having just
completed the first year of a general studies bachelor's degree at
Kwantlen. By providing him a safe, stable place to stay, the centre
also gives him time to clear the wreckage of his past and make room
for a brighter future.