Dan Williams, minister of mental health and addiction, Siksika Nation Chief Ouray Crowfoot and Premier Danielle Smith sign a memorandum of understanding on July 6, 2023 to build a 75-bed addiction treatment facility on Siksika Nation. (Screengrab)

By Chris Brown

Siksika Nation signs deal with province for addiction recovery centre

Jul 6, 2023 | 11:53 AM

A southeastern Alberta First Nation has signed a memorandum of understanding with the province to build an addiction treatment facility on Treaty 7 territory.

Siksika Nation chief Ouray Crowfoot, Premier Danielle Smith and Mental Health and Addiction Minister Dan Williams signed the MOU to build a 75-bed recovery centre on Siksika land.

The facility will have the capacity to provide holistic addiction treatment services to up to 300 Indigenous and non-Indigenous people each year.

Chief Crowfoot says the facility will help create a safer Siksika Nation and a safer Alberta.

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“We’ve had far too many people from Siksika and not just Siksika but southern Alberta, pass away in the last few years of overdose, of drug abuse, of alcoholism. and this issue’s not going to go away. You know It’s not one that we can put our head in the sand and hope that it’s going to go away on its own. This is a worldwide pandemic,” he said at a news conference.

“And we see our people, a lot of people at Siksika and the nations that {the minister} mentioned, Sarcee and Enoch and the Blood Tribe. A lot of times it’s getting into those facilities in Calgary and we have large wait times, So this is why having the nation, that facility on the nation will help our people get into those facilities in the critical window that they need to get into that facility.”

He added that in many cases drug use is a side effect of trauma that took place or not feeling safe or secure and this is one of many steps toward building a strong foundation for Siksika Nation.

Crowfoot also said with a strong foundation people will feel safe and secure and gain a sense of esteem.

“You have all those things in place drug use goes down, alcohol use goes down. And again we’re going to start that at home. I do feel that if we start that at home, we have a strong secure safe Siksika, it’s going to spread out.”

A site on the Nation has not been chosen for the facility, for which Ellis said construction is hoped to start in 2024.

The premier says the government is committing up to $30 million in capital and will fully fund facility operations once it’s complete.

“Developing a recovery community with Siksika nation and other First Nations is an important step towards increasing access to long-term addictions treatment that meets the needs of First Nations,” said Smith.

On Wednesday the government announced a recovery facility on Tsuut’ina Nation, the first of 11 planned or underway. Other communities include Lethbridge, Calgary, Red Deer and Enoch Cree Nation near Edmonton.

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

Albertans struggling with opioid addiction can contact the Virtual Opioid Dependency Program (VODP) by calling 1-844-383-7688, seven days a week, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. VODP provides same-day access to addiction medicine specialists. There is no wait list.