A new location has been selected as the home for a women’s residential treatment facility in Barrie, however officials with Cornerstone are keeping mum about its exact location - for now.
Peter Brewitt, director of programs and development for Cornerstone to Recovery, told BarrieToday the organization still has every intention of building the 14-bed treatment centre - which is also expected to include transitional beds - in the city.
Earlier this month, a deal to build the new facillty on Tiffin Street fell through.
“The deal with (77) Tiffin Street is no longer, and it was really sad and a little disheartening, but the one good thing is whenever we develop a plan we always have a Plan B. So when Tiffin fell through, Plan B became Plan A,” he said. “It’s really important that the people of Barrie know that we are still coming. The timing is just a little bit off because of the Tiffin deal falling through.”
Ultimately, cost is the reason the deal fell through, acknowledged Brewitt.
“We were well intentioned and had every intention of going through with the deal there, but in the end we just couldn’t meet the cost. Being a charity, we have to be accountable for every dollar, do what we need to do, and not bury ourselves while we are doing it,” he said.
“We haven’t abandoned the project because Tiffin fell through. If anything (that) only intensified our efforts to get there and get this thing up and running. It’s going to be fantastic when it is.”
Brewitt noted an architect has been retained and Cornerstone officials are in regular contact with the city’s planning department.
“Through all of this Barrie city council and staff … have been absolutely outstanding in helping us meet the needs of building this treatment centre in Barrie. It’s going to come to fruition,” he said, noting they aren’t making details of the location public at this time as the deal has yet to close.
“We are in the early stages, and I can’t fill in all of the blanks, but the location is in Central Barrie," said Brewitt. "Location is really important to us for people being able to access us, and at the same time being mindful of the safety and security of our clients. That’s always been first and foremost to us.”
Brewitt says it's “sad but understandable” that the opioid crisis has taken a backseat to COVID, but noted all one needs to do is look at the number of opioid-related deaths that have occurred in the region to understand why the need for such a facility is so important.
“If you take a look at what is going on across the country … you can see there is an opioid crisis going on all over the place,” he said. “In Simcoe County it’s very much needed and we can’t open soon enough.”
Coun. Natalie Harris, who has championed this project from the beginning, told BarrieToday the $400,000 interest-free loan to city gave to Cornerstone to renovate a building for the centre’s Barrie operations still remains and will simply be used at new different location, adding the change of location out of the downtown core may actually be for the best.
“For it being a women’s treatment centre, there are definitely good things to have (additional) privacy. They are there sober and on their way to improving their life and need that privacy, space and comfort to be successful," said Harris.
The women’s facility, she added, is hopefully just the beginning for Cornerstone in Barrie.
“After the women’s treatment centre gets up and running … The next step will be other centres as well. We aren’t done yet.”
