Alberta premier pledges $30M for drug treatment centre on First Nation near Calgary

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith responds to a question during a news conference after a meeting of western premiers, in Whistler, B.C., on Tuesday, June 27, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

The Alberta government is to spend up to $30 million to build a long-term drug addiction treatment facility on the Tsuut'ina First Nation west of Calgary.

The aim is to have construction begin next year on the 75-bed facility that is expected to treat about 300 patients annually.

Premier Danielle Smith says it's one of 11 recovery centres planned or underway in Alberta as part of its long-term strategy to help people with drug addiction.

Other centres include ones in Red Deer, Lethbridge, Calgary, Grande Prairie and Enoch First Nation near Edmonton.

In April, 179 people died from drug poisoning in Alberta, the deadliest month to date.

Smith says the treatment would be free to all Albertans and the Tsuut'ina centre is to offer holistic treatment to Indigenous and non-Indigenous people from around the area.

"This partnership reflects our government's unwavering commitment to walk together with First Nations to increase addiction treatment capacity across Alberta," Smith said at a news conference at the Tsuut'ina Nation on Wednesday.

"Building this recovery community in partnership with Tsuut'ina is another essential step toward ending the addiction crisis here in Alberta."

Smith has been urged to focus more on providing a safe supply of drugs for users, but says her government will pursue long-term recovery rather than enabling addictions.

Tsuut'ina Chief Roy Whitney said he agrees with that approach.

"We are dealing with synthetic opioids that are cheap and easy to conceal and incredibly powerful. This is the new and more difficult reality," said Whitney.

"I stand with the premier and her cabinet on the track that they are creating.

"No one would believe the answer to alcohol abuse is to provide more and cheaper alcohol. The answer is long-term and intensive assistance and abstinence."

The Opposition NDP said in a statement that Smith is failing and must develop an emergency plan to stop drug overdose deaths among Indigenous people.

"While Danielle Smith and the UCP continue to hold photo ops, a record number of people are dying," said the statement, co-signed by NDP Indigenous Relations critic Brooks Arcand-Paul and Janet Eremenko, the critic for Mental Health and Addiction.

"It is time to acknowledge that the current approach to the drug poisoning crisis isn't working and it is failing the greatest in Indigenous communities.

"Premier Smith putting her head in the sand over evidence-based harm reduction strategies is not only deeply disappointing, it's dangerous."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 5, 2023.