'My safety is my priority': Albertans protest location of proposed addictions recovery centre

Dozens of protesters lined a road near Sylvan Lake, Alta., Monday over concerns that opening a new recovery centre on the outskirts of town will be a danger to the area.

The Lakeside Recovery Centre proposal would see the creation of a 90-day drug and alcohol treatment program on a 32-hectare (80 acre) property on Township Road 392. Twelve women at a time would be staying at the centre.

Protesters held signs with one reading "save the children" and another referring to the facility as a "rehab jail court."

"My safety is my priority, my family's safety, my grandchildren's safety," protester Wendy Sauvageau told CTV News Edmonton.

Although Lacombe County councillors have approved first and second reading of a bylaw that would allow the centre to open, Sauvageau feels the busy vacation town is not the right place.

"Biggest party town in Canada two years in a row. Coors Light gave us that, you don't think there were drugs there?" Sauvageau said.

'IT'S BECAUSE OF A MISCONCEPTION'

Adeara is the proposed operator of the centre. The organization also has a facility in Edmonton, and claims to have helped 650 women recover since it was founded in 1998.

A spokesperson for Adeara promised that the central Alberta location will be "safe and secure" with staff on-site 24/7.

"There's a lot of fear that's been built up in the community, way more than I ever thought and I believe it's because of a misconception of what Adeara is doing," said Benoit Trudeau.

The proposed site for the Lakeside Recovery Centre near Sylvan Lake Alta., on October 17, 2022 (Nav Sangha/CTV News Red Deer).

He said that the program will only accept women who have never committed a violent crime and they will be supervised at all times.

"So they accept to stay fulltime in the house and always be accompanied with a therapist when they go out," Trudeau said.

REEVE REFUSES TO COMMENT

Still, several residents are not happy with the proposed site, which they point out is near a children's camp and a provincial park.

"I would be very uncomfortable with my kids going away for a week, being supervised by youth councillors, sleeping in a tent, next to such a program," said protester Kate Latos.

"It doesn't make sense for the success of the women here that they want to bring and it doesn't make sense for the community," added protester Catherina Cummins.

Lacombe County Reeve Barb Shepherd told CTV News Edmonton that it "would not be appropriate" for her to comment on the topic until after a decision has been made. She said the third and final reading of the bylaw is scheduled for Oct. 27.

With files from CTV News Red Deer's Nav Sangha