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By Derek Cornet

muskwa lake

Province invests in permanent addictions treatment funding in Pinehouse Lake

May 16, 2024 | 2:34 PM

The provincial government is providing additional funding to expand Pinehouse’s Muskwa Lake Wellness Camp.

In a media release issued Wednesday, it was announced the wellness camp will increase from 12 temporary spots to 15 permanent inpatient addiction treatment spaces.

The new agreement, in partnership with the Saskatchewan Health Authority, increases temporary funding from $700,000 to annualized funding of $1.6 million. As a result, the camp which is located near Pinehouse, will be able to service 120 patients per year.

“Increasing the number of spaces and providing permanent funding to Muskwa Lake Wellness Camp will provide expert culturally relevant treatment to Saskatchewan residents,” said Mental Health and Addictions, Seniors and Rural and Remote Health Minister Tim McLeod.

“Your provincial government is committed to adding 500 addictions treatment spaces across the province to double capacity for addictions treatment. Working with Muskwa Lake Wellness Camp brings us further toward this goal, to a total of 213 addictions treatment spaces added so far.”

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Muskwa Lake Wellness Camp is operated by Kineepik Métis Local 9 and has been in operation for nearly 40 years. The camp is a grassroots, community-directed program that provides land-based health intervention. Its healing philosophy includes Western addictions education and traditional Indigenous teachings.

“We are very grateful for the support of the government for the ongoing operation of Muskwa Lake Wellness Camp,” Kineepik Métis Local #9 Health and Wellness Manager Kimberly Smith said.

“We can continue our journey of creating a culturally appropriate response to recovery by offering a unique path of healing as our camp intertwines land-based practices, western programming and uses the wisdom of our people.”

In September 2023, the province provided the camp with $246,000 to build and furnish a fully functional main cabin, with improved spaces for group and individual counselling, as well as industrial kitchen and laundry spaces.

Construction of the main cabin is underway. The main cabin construction follows a December 2021 investment of $337,000 to winterize buildings so Muskwa Lake Wellness Camp could operate year-round.

Under Saskatchewan’s new Action Plan for Mental Health and Addictions, the province has committed to adding 500 addictions treatment spaces to double capacity for addictions treatment through the publicly funded health care system. The 15 spaces at Muskwa Lake bring the total number of spaces announced so far to 213.

The total includes 15 inpatient treatment spaces at Thorpe Recovery Centre near Lloydminster, 26 post-treatment spaces at St. Joseph’s Addiction Recovery Centre in Estevan, 32 intensive outpatient treatment spaces through Possibilities Recovery Center in Saskatoon, 14 inpatient addictions treatment spaces at the former Drumming Hill Youth Centre facility in North Battleford, 60 inpatient treatment spaces in Lumsden, 15 withdrawal management spaces at Onion Lake and 36 virtual spaces through EHN Canada.

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derek.cornet@pattisonmedia.com