Pubdate: Sun, 22 Apr 2007
Source: Surrey Leader (CN BC)
Copyright: 2007 Surrey Leader
Contact:  http://www.surreyleader.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1236
Author: Leslie Dickson

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.
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MAP posted-by: Elaine