A new treatment and recovery centre is coming to the Municipality of North Cowichan, and the 20-bed facility is scheduled to open later this year.
According to the municipality, they’ve been looking for a facility to house the treatment centre over the past year, and after working with Together We Can to secure funding, the facility will become accessible to the community.
Mayor Rob Douglas says the municipality has been working hard to develop this project, especially with the lives lost in the region during the opioid crisis.
“North Cowichan has long advocated for increased investments from senior levels of government and Island Health in publicly funded treatment beds,” he says. “We’re now working closely with Together We Can to secure government funding for this new facility, ensuring it’s accessible to a broader segment of our community, regardless of economic status.”
According to Douglas, over the past five years, more than 180 lives have been lost due to unregulated drug use in the Cowichan Valley.