Residents Ryan Kirby and Mark Lane have collectively poured $1.1M of their own money into creating Vida Nova Recovery, a new addiction treatment centre near Holyrood, Newfoundland. Vida Nova Recovery Centre is expected to open in June.

Seven years sober, Kirby’s association with rehab programs never worked for him, but running the East Coast Trail with friends showed him the power of structure, exercise, and nature. Their investment of $1.1 million to convert an old summer camp into an addiction treatment centre has been inspired by personal experiences with addiction in their families. The treatment centre sits on a large pond off Salmonier Line, which is ideal for kayaking and morning exercise.

Newfoundland and Labrador has two other live-in treatment centres, Humberwood on the island’s west coast and the Grace Centre to the east, both of which are known to have long waitlists and can only accommodate patients for up to 28 days.

Kirby and Lane intend to offer four-week intensive stays with full-time programming to patients along with several additional weeks of on-site monitoring. The new centre will have 10 two-bedroom units for patients to live and work while still taking part in therapy and activities. The pair are interested in tracking outcomes through regular follow-ups with patients, even after they leave the centre, making sure patients do not turn back to their old lifestyles and triggers after a few short weeks.

Having put their homes on the line to finance the addiction recovery centre, both Lane and Kirby are hopeful to persuade officials to support the centre through grants, loans, or approval. The duo has received overwhelming support from the community for their initiative.

Source: CBC