On Thursday Weyburns Chief of Police, Jamie Blunden was able to tour the new St Josephs Addiction Recovery Centre that is being constructed in Estevan. The facility is aimed at helping those struggling with an addiction to meth get on the right path to recovery. You can find more details about the facility here and here.

Alongside other delegates, including the Estevan Police Service and Carlyle RCMP, Blunden was given the opportunity to see how the new facility would work and how it was laid out and how it will work.

"To know what the nuts and bolts of the program are is really important for us because there's credibility behind us," Blunden commented. "Once you see what the program is and you feel comfortable with what it is, you go to that toolbox a little sooner knowing that there is some credibility behind that program."

The facility itself will start with only a small handful of patients, giving staff a chance to get used to how things will operate before taking on the full capacity. According to Blunden, there is already a waitlist of people being recommended to the new facility.

"After visiting the facility and meeting the staff, I feel one hundred percent confident in regards to referrals down to them if we do have an individual who does need some treatment or needs some help," Blunden added.

He said he plans to go back and speak at their lecture hall, to provide a law enforcer's perspective for those in recovery.

Representatives from area law enforcement toured the St. Josephs Addiction Recovery Centre in Estevan together on Thursday (photo by Spencer Kemp-Boulet).