People seeking recovery from substance use in Haida Gwaii will soon have greater access to culturally grounded supports closer to home following a provincial announcement made in Skidegate on Friday.
Health Minister Josie Osborne visited Tll Daagwiiyah Naay in Skidegate to announce the addition of 12 new First Nations-led treatment and recovery beds in three B.C. communities. Eight of those beds will be located on Haida Gwaii, including four supportive recovery beds in Skidegate and four in Old Massett.
The Province is partnering with the First Nations Health Authority, the Canadian Mental Health Association B.C. Division and local First Nations to deliver the new services.
“The loss and grief caused by the toxic-drug crisis continue to be felt in First Nations communities throughout the province,” Osborne said. “These new treatment and recovery beds will help people access healing and recovery supports in a way that reflects their culture, community and strengths.”
The recovery beds in Skidegate are now open and accepting clients, while the beds in Old Massett are expected to open in July.
Chief Billy Yovanovich of the Skidegate Band Council said the community is grateful to see Tll Daagwiiyah Naay operating as a second-phase recovery home.
“We are so fortunate in Skidegate to have Tll Daagwiiyah Naay (make strong house) as our second-phase recovery home,” Yovanovich said. “The management team has been very keen to have the facility open and we are very grateful to all who made it happen.”
The announcement also included four treatment beds in Adams Lake, located in the Interior Health region.
Officials said the new beds are designed to provide person-centred care rooted in Indigenous culture, community connections and traditional knowledge.
The expansion is part of broader efforts to strengthen substance-use services across northwestern B.C. Through partnerships involving Northern Health, the First Nations Health Authority and the Northern First Nations Alliance, work is underway to expand the province’s Road to Recovery model of care in the region.
As part of that expansion, a new Northwest Outpatient Withdrawal Management team is expected to launch on Haida Gwaii later this summer. The team will help people access withdrawal management services in their home communities rather than travelling away from family and support networks.
Chief Donald Edgars of the Old Massett Village Council said the new recovery program will provide an important resource for women, families and communities in northern Haida Gwaii.
“Swan House represents an important step in supporting women, families and communities in northern Haida Gwaii through culturally safe, community-led healing,” Edgars said.
According to the province, there are currently 3,785 publicly funded substance-use treatment and recovery beds across British Columbia, including 161 in the Northern Health region. Since 2017, the province has added 829 new substance-use treatment and recovery beds provincewide.
