The new sobering centre in Thompson will be at the former Polaris Centre located at the corner of Princeton Drive and Station Road.
Manitoba’s Justice Minister Cameron Friesen announced the government transferred ownership of the former campus from University College of the North to the City of Thompson yesterday afternoon. The province is also contributing 2.8 million dollars to establish and operate the centre here in the city.
Friesen explains the significance of having a sobering centre here in the city;
“It’s simply a safe setting for a short term stay to facilitate recovery. It is more appropriate than sending someone to a police holding cell. It is more appropriate for the utilization of our health care system in sending them to the hospital and it is more client- centered. It avoids a criminal record. So it’s good on many levels.”
The minister adds sobering centres have been shown to work in the province, citing the Main Street Project in Winnipeg as an example.
Friesen says construction on the new centre will begin shortly, and the province it will continue to work with the City of Thompson to open an interim centre in late fall/early winter while construction of the permanent centre takes place.
At the virtual press conference, Mayor Colleen Smook said it was a wonderful day for Thompson and its partners to receive this news ; “This is definitely one of our major pieces of the puzzle and we can’t thank the province enough for coming on board for the last couple years , especially, and working so hard with us for this. This is a 24 hour plan that will be going ahead and it couldn’t be done without all of our community partners. Without the Provincial Government or the support of City Council and all our staff here in the city.”
Sobering centres provide short-term recovery from intoxication in a safe setting that would lower intoxication detentions in RCMP holding cells and lower the burden at local public health facilities. The new centre will provide a 24-7 safe and secure environment for non-violent, publicly intoxicated individuals to stay while the effects of drugs and alcohol wear off.
