Photo of: Pine Lodge staff showing the sage they picked from a medicine walk
Photo by: Danielle Dufour
Pine Lodge Addiction Recovery has been dedicated to helping chemically dependent individuals finding recovery from drug and alcohol addictions for 40 years.
This non-profit charity funded by the Saskatchewan Health Authority, will be co-hosting a fundraising celebration event on September 19th at the Mackenzie Art Gallery with NWL Contemporary Dresses.
The evening will consist of a fashion show, art auction and mocktails instead of alcoholic drinks. Love said, “To show people that you can have sober fun.”
In1986 Pine Lodge initially opened in Indian Head, Saskatchewan as a 10-bed detox and treatment facility.
“There weren’t a lot of recovery supports in Saskatchewan in the early 80’s,” said Andrew Love Executive Director of Pine Lodge Addiction Recovery in Regina. “There’s a group of guys that were involved with the AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) community that got together and created this idea of Pine Lodge.”
This facility closed after a fire occurred on Christmas Eve in 2020.
In 2022, they reopened the treatment facility in north central Regina near Sacred Heart school and expanded operations with a 6-week inpatient treatment, 38-bed facility and 26-post treatment beds.
“Folks that are finished their inpatient treatment and may not have housing set up at that point or looking for sort of a second stage in their recovery, they come to our post treatment houses,” said Love. “They live with us in a group sober living environment and then we do programming together.”
The post treatment programming is focused on relapse prevention and getting individuals connected to the right supports to help them going forward.
“We do get a lot of folks that are coming to us that are unhoused, lots of food security issues, so what we focus on when people come to treatment is getting them connected to supports in the community that are going to outlast our programming,” said Love. “Six weeks isn’t a lot of time, especially for people that have been entrenched in addiction.”
Having a cultural component has been important for Pine Lodge as they work with many individuals in the Indigenous community. The team partners with other organizations that are Indigenous focused to provide sweats and other ceremonies.
“The lessons that people are learning in the cultural programming are around self-love, kindness, things that make people better people,” said Love. “We have a cultural coordinator who goes out in the community to connect people with, because once we’re done, where are folks going to go after.”
Gayleen Wahpoosewyan, originally from Zagimē Anishinabēk First Nation, is an addictions counsellor with Pine Lodge and shares her life experience with those she works with.
“I was basically struggling with addiction for about 10 years of my life,” said Wahpoosewyan. “I went through numerous treatment centers, detoxes and until I went into my last one-year treatment center in 2014, that is when I decided to make a life change. I had my kids taken away for approximately 4 years.”
From there, her healing journey began. Her advocacy work soon followed and she became an addictions counsellor providing that Indigenous voice with compassion and empathy.
“I’m able to connect with them on a deeper level,” said Wahpoosewyan. “To be able to share my experience, strength and hope, and navigate through the resources and be that voice wherever they need. A lot of our Indigenous clients have intergenerational trauma.”
Overcoming her addiction has changed her life for the better.
“To be that role model for my children, and to break those cycles,” said Wahpoosewyan. “To be able to provide support as well because I do have 9 children. I need the community to help as well and have a lot of people that help support me.”
Wahpoosewyan’s message to others, “Don’t give up and just keep moving forward. It takes a lot of strength to walk this journey but it’s quite possible, especially when you have a connection with a higher power.”