The governments of Canada and British Columbia, along with community partners, today announced the official opening of VQ - The Lake, a new supportive recovery facility for men near Logan Lake.

The newly repurposed correctional facility provides 50 beds for men living with mental-health and addiction challenges in an abstinence-based, life skills recovery program. The development, located at 7185 Tunkwa Lake Rd., includes classrooms, a workshop, recreational hall, dining area and sleeping dormitories.

The facility is operated by VisionQuest Recovery Society.

Quick facts:

• The governments of Canada and British Columbia provided a combined investment of $620,815 through the Federal-Provincial Housing initiative − www.bchousing.org/Initiatives/Creating/FPHi - under the Canada-B.C. Agreement for Investment in Affordable Housing 2011-2014 − www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/corp/nero/nere/2011/2011-07-04-0930.cfm − which was recently extended until 2019 - www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/corp/nero/nere/2014/2014-03-04-1530.cfm
• The B.C. government arranged a one-year operating subsidy of approximately $68,000.

Quotes:

Dan Albas, Member of Parliament for Okanagan-Coquihalla — on behalf of the Honourable Candice Bergen, Minister of State (Social Development) -

“Men who have chosen to live a healthier lifestyle will be able to find temporary housing that is set up to be a home away from home. Living in beautiful surroundings with support services, including a classroom and a workshop, will provide ample opportunity to work towards a better life. Our Government is proud to be part of this life-changing project.”

Rich Coleman, Minister of Natural Gas Development and Minister Responsible for Housing -

“VisionQuest Recovery Society helps people involved in the provincial corrections system, and there is no other society or service in B.C. whose specific focus is on these individuals. This unique development provides more opportunities for VisionQuest to implement its successful recovery programs - helping people make positive changes.”

Earl Moulton, board chair, VisionQuest Recovery Society -

“We take in people from all walks of life and with different backgrounds. They participate in a comprehensive program based on the Twelve Steps in addition to extensive and thorough programs developed by VisionQuest. This development fits nicely into our holistic approach to recovery. Most of the necessary maintenance and routine functions that come with running a development like this will be undertaken by our clients under the direct and constant supervision of our house managers. This is a proven formula that gets positive results.”

Associated links:

• Annually, the Government of Canada, through Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), invests approximately $2 billion in housing. These investments improve the quality of life for low-income Canadians and households living in existing social housing, including individuals who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, seniors, persons with disabilities, recent immigrants, and Aboriginal people. Economic Action Plan 2013 continued this commitment with a federal investment of more than $1.25 billion over five years to renew the Investment in Affordable Housing to 2019. The Government of Canada will ensure that funds provided to provinces and territories support the use of apprentices, which will support training of skilled labour. To find out more about how the Government of Canada and CMHC help Canadians meet their housing needs, call CMHC at 1 800 668-2642 or visit: www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca
• Since 2001, the B.C. government has invested $4 billion to provide affordable housing for low-income individuals, seniors and families. This year, nearly 100,000 B.C. households will benefit from provincial social housing programs and services.
• VisionQuest Recovery Society is committed to helping individuals heal from the disease of addiction by empowering them to make better lifestyle choices. They are especially attuned to the needs of individuals with a history with the courts, and actively cooperate with the relevant authorities to further the interests of both their clients and, by extension, the wider community. For more information, visit: www.visionquestsociety.org

Stay connected:

Follow CMHC on Twitter: @CMHC_ca (twitter.com)

Follow BC Housing on Twitter: @BC_Housing (twitter.com)

Media Contacts:

Jeanette Wilkinson
CMHC
604 737-4025

Elaine McKay
BC Housing
778 452-6476

James (Jim) O’Rourke
VisionQuest Recovery Society
604 946-1841