Province cuts funding for French-language drug rehab centre in northern Ontario

Ontario Health has cut funding for one of only two residential drug rehab centres in the province that offers services in French.

On Sept. 30, Maison Arc-en-Ciel, located in the northern Ontario township of Opasatika, northwest of Kapuskasing, will shutter its doors as it loses provincial funding.

The centre was founded in 1979 and helped youth between the ages of 12 and 24 recover from drug addiction.

Estelle Bérubé, Maison Arc-en-Ciel's executive director, said the centre's rural setting let youth experience outdoor activities like canoeing and snowshoeing while they participated in the 90-day recovery program.

More recently, Bérubé said the centre started to offer services in English, and also served Indigenous youth with traditional healing practices.

She said drug consumption has been on the rise, and programs like hers are more needed than ever before.

"It's really scary," Bérubé said. "Like it's not gonna get any better anytime soon and cutting residential programs, in my opinion, is not a solution."

In the last 20 years she said about 400 young people have completed the centre's 90-day program.

Bérubé said she suspected the centre's funding was cut off for financial reasons.

"I guess they look at the amount of money they are investing in residential programs, and they believe they could help more people with that amount of money," she said.

Bérubé said she believes Ontario Health could fund a cheaper online program instead.

Nicolas Rice was a guide at the centre and took youth out in nature to help with their recovery.

"It's sad news that the centre is going to shut down because I think, for their residents, it was an asset to be out here," he said.

"It gives them pride to know that they can surpass obstacles in life," he added.