The Sask. Party redacted the total cost of the project, though the emails show that taxpayers are on the hook for $1.5 million in startup costs alone for the privately-owned addiction treatment centre. Copies of the obtained emails are attached to this release.
“The Sask. Party has had no problem handing this centre blank cheques while wait times grow and this addictions crisis gets worse and worse,” said Betty Nippi Albright, Shadow Minister for Mental Health and Addictions. “Where is this money going? Saskatchewan families deserve answers.
“We have people dying every day of addiction in this province and a government wasting money that could be devoted to saving lives. It’s time we get serious about a plan to protect our communities from the harmful effects of drugs, now and into the future.”
The Lumsden Treatment Centre was originally promised as a solution to Saskatchewan’s addiction crisis, yet delays continue, and the facility is still not fully operational even as the Sask. Party increases funding.
The facility has been at the centre of controversy in recent months after Sask. Party Minister Lori Carr was caught lying about it being open and accepting inpatients when the opposite was true.
In January, former Admissions Coordinator turned whistleblower Mandy Challis said that “this facility has had a year of money being put into staffing with no clients when there are [local] organizations begging for donations.”
“The Sask. Party has been in power for 17 years. They let this issue get out of hand because they just aren't focused on the future,” said Nippi Albright.
The Saskatchewan NDP is calling on the Sask. Party to fully disclose the total cost of the Lumsden Treatment Centre and provide a detailed breakdown of where the money has gone, how many patients have been treated to date, and a full and public breakdown of ongoing challenges related to the operation of the facility.
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