The mood was noticeably different on Thursday evening in the common area at the Ina Grafton Gage facility. It was the second of two community meetings regarding the conversion of the former seniors’ home into a detox centre in Pleasant View.
With attendance around 70, Thursday night attracted more people than Tuesday’s meeting. By a show of hands, more than half of the crowd was new.
There were still several in the crowd with concerns but Thunder Creek Rehabilitation Association executive director, Anne Marie Ursan, was better prepared to address them than on Tuesday.
“It’s hard to compare. It’s a different group of people. Some of the concerns were echoed from the beginning. This one had more focus on location, not as much on safety,” Ursan said. “I still think that safety remains the primary issue for the neighbourhood. I’m certain of that.”
Before the floor was opened up to public concerns and questions, Ursan addressed several of the issues regarding the details of the social detox program that had been brought up on Tuesday.
She said that steps are being taken towards forming a neighbourhood advisory committee that will monitor the progress of the detox centre and keep open communication lines between the community and Thunder Creek.
Ursan said there would be a strict admissions process with background checks. She assured the crowd that people participating in treatment would be escorted out of the community after leaving. There will also be security measures in place including alarms on doors and security cameras within the facility.
For more on this story, read Friday's edition of the Times-Herald.
