PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE — An elected Progressive Conservative government will transform the former Manitoba Developmental Centre (MDC) into an addiction recovery centre of excellence, Jeff Bereza, PC candidate for Portage la Prairie, announced today.
“Too many Manitobans have fallen into the depths of addictions without access to treatment,” said Bereza. “Our PC plan will create a meaningful path to recovery that provides Manitobans the opportunity to rebuild their lives.”
A Progressive Conservative government will expand addiction treatment capacity across Manitoba, beginning with the former MDC facility in Portage la Prairie. The residential care facility and land with two dozen buildings have sat vacant since being closed in 2024 without a plan for future use. PCs will work with experts and community to transform the 100-acre site into a dedicated recovery campus.
Bereza notes that Portage la Prairie would be ideal for housing such a hub due to its central location in southern Manitoba, proximity to Winnipeg, Brandon, and several First Nation communities, the urban–rural make up of the region, a brand-new PC-built hospital on the way, and an airport that can connect to northern communities.
“When I decided that I wanted to move from addiction into recovery and change my life, there was no immediate help available and I had to wait months for a space to open up,” said Joseph Fourre, founder of the Singing Red Bear Foundation. “I believe this recovery-based model that PCs are proposing is the very hand up that Manitobans suffering from addiction need. It’s a model that invests in Manitobans when they are at their worst and works with them to bring their best.”
With the support of his children, Fourre is almost eight years sober after a 40-year battle with heroin and crystal meth addiction.
The transformation of MDC will be part of a broader Progressive Conservative strategy focused on recovery and results. The provincial strategy will build capacity and ensure better access to detox, rehabilitation, and long-term recovery supports in Manitoba.
The plan builds on previous PC work to tackle the growing addictions crisis in Manitoba. Within the first few years of taking government in 2016, PCs established the province’s first-ever Rapid Access to Addictions Medicine (RAAM) clinics, as well as widely expanding access to and distribution of the life-saving drug naloxone.
“There is no compassion in leaving people suspended in addiction,” said Bereza. “Families want their loved ones back. Our PC plan asks Manitobans to expect more from their government and to reject the notion that worsening rates of addiction and overdoses are simply the status quo. This is our compassionate conservative stance.”
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