Facility facing uncertain future hopeful of finding new location

Although a teen drug rehab centre catering to Quebec’s English-speaking community faces an uncertain future in the West Island, Portage officials remain hopeful since the province seems to be treating their urgent relocation needs as a priority.

Portage, which has admitted more than 900 youth addicts into its substance abuse treatment program in Beaconsfield since 2001, must move out of its current site by the end of this year since Batshaw Youth and Family Centres is reclaiming the sprawling Elm Ave. property for its $50-million opencustody facility to house up to 108 troubled kids.

Portage officials have been looking for a new West Island location in earnest since late 2013, when Batshaw deposited its plans at city hall, but were aware of such a possibility for several years. Officials have indicated they would like the program to remain in Beaconsfield if possible, perhaps even in another location on Elm Ave. Portage is seeking funding assistance, though it has yet to receive any confirmation the province will financially support a relocation in the West Island.

Lucie Charlebois, the Minister for Rehabilitation, Youth Protection and Public Health, said she is following the dossier carefully and is keenly aware of the importance of the rehab services the centre offers anglophone youth.

“It is important for me that we keep that for the people that need those kinds of services,” she said, adding the Montreal regional health board has been notified she wants to find a solution for Portage.

“We are not only trying, we are going to find a solution,” she added.

“I know they are looking to stay in the West Island area,” Charlebois said, acknowledging Portage has developed a relationship with the community and the Lester B. Pearson School Board.

Peter Howlett, Portage’s president, is optimistic the province will come through considering the Beaconsfield program is the sole English adolescent drug-rehab program in Quebec.

“We had been looking in the area for some period of time. We’ve identified one site and we are very hopeful that we will be able to acquire it,” Howlett said.

Portage can treat about 30 teen addicts at a time at its current Beaconsfield location but Howlett would like to accommodate even more once they relocate.

Portage runs a total of seven substance-abuse centres in Quebec, plus three adolescent centres in British Columbia, Ontario and New Brunswick.

A year ago, Beaconsfield city council granted a reprieve so Portage could continue to operate its program in the existing facility on Elm Ave. until the end of 2014 while allowing Batshaw to start an initial phase of construction. Batshaw, which has started working on two of the nine housing units for its project, will eventually demolish the aging Elm Ave. facility it had loaned to Portage.