Pubdate: Mon, 24 Oct 2005
Source: Parklander, The (CN AB)
Copyright: 2005 Hinton Parklander
Contact:  http://www.hintonparklander.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/782

DETOX FACILITY NEEDS UNITED FRONT

Hinton Parklander -- There is at least one thing rural municipalities 
and towns can agree on and that's the need for a meth-specific 
detoxification and rehabilitation centre outside of Calgary and Edmonton.

Hinton town council is pushing for one and, apparently, other 
communities around the Yellowhead Region -- like Grande Cache and 
Drayton Valley -- are behind the initiative.

The Alberta Urban Municipalities Association (AUMA) recently held a 
near unanimous vote in support of lobby efforts for a rural detox centre.

This is all well and good and, without a doubt, a momentous start to 
the campaign. This is essentially the same alliance of municipal 
leaders who helped spearhead the push for more police funding last 
fall (but wouldn't it make sense to push some of the surplus money 
towards rural law enforcement, just as an unexpected bonus? Hmm? But 
we digress.)

One major difference in the alliance for more police funding and the 
alliance for rural detox is the former initiative was to the equal 
benefit of all partners. The push for a rural detox centre will not 
be the same because, in the end, one partner will have the centre 
placed in its community.

This is likely one of the reasons -- beyond logistical ones -- why 
the AUMA did not discuss location at its meeting.

If this initiative does begin to realize its goal, there will be 
several communities jockeying to house the facility. Hinton, for 
example, has already lobbied to convert the Blue Lake Lodge 
properties into a facility when the lease is up in two years.

If this lobbying effort is to be successful, communities around the 
province, and specifically in the Yellowhead Region, will have to put 
their narrow interests aside and focus on the greater good.

-T.W.