Powell River Regional Hospital District staff will examine its lease with Miklat Recovery Society in advance of a proposed management takeover by another society.
At the September 27 regional hospital district meeting, Ken Aikenhead, chair of the Together We Can (TWC) Drug and Alcohol Recovery and Education Society, spoke to directors about a proposal to take over management of Miklat’s residential recovery operations, using Miklat’s current staff philosophy and assets.
“We are here today to advance a common interest, which is to support and expand recovery services for the people of Powell River and surrounding areas,” said Aikenhead. “We have taken this step because over the past few years, the Miklat Recovery Society has been doing excellent work helping local residents recover from addiction.”
He said his society has been working with Miklat on an informal basis to improve their progress. More recently, Miklat has been working hard to fundraise to renovate the old fire hall in Townsite, which is owned by the hospital district, and leased to Miklat for $1 a year, said Aikenhead.
“It has become apparent to Miklat that it would be difficult for Miklat to provide the necessary fundraising and the governance structure to expand the recovery services in Powell River,” said Aikenhead. “They currently have the McGuffie house, which has 12 residential beds, and another second-stage recovery house, which has 10 beds.”
Miklat unanimously agreed to a request that TWC take over the recovery services that Miklat has been operating, and to work to expand those services locally, and particularly with respect to more beds, hopefully at the old fire hall, said Aikenhead.
“We are gratified and humbled by the local community support of TWC becoming involved in Powell River,” said Aikenhead. “We have identified a donor, with a potential grant of $600,000, and several other potential substantial donors toward the new facility.
“We are hoping that the renovations to the old fire hall can be completed for $925,000. We received a recent estimate that it may take $1.3 million to complete the renovations, but we are seeking other estimates.”
Aikenhead said the old fire hall is ideal for 12 new residential beds, which are needed with the ongoing addiction crisis. He said the society simply cannot obtain funding with a 90-day cancellation clause that is in the current lease, which allows the hospital district to end the lease with 90 days’ notice for no reason.
Miklat has agreed to transfer the lease to TWC but it needs the hospital board’s consent to allow transfer.
“Nobody is going to put in $1 million into a building they don’t own with the potential of being turfed out in 90 days,” said Aikenhead.
City of Powell River director Cindy Elliott said it is in the best interests of the community to have these services and expand them. She said she is in favour of a motion to have staff look at the proposal and get back to the hospital board.
The board carried a motion that the regional hospital district board refer the lease between Powell River Regional Hospital District and Miklat Recovery Society back to staff for a report, considering proposed lease amendments, as soon as possible.
Aikenhead said there was some time urgency. City director and hospital board chair George Doubt said the board would take that into account.
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