Recovery centre residents plant community connections

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This article was published 19/09/2021 (1536 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

More than two dozen men who are some of the first to be treated for alcohol and drug addictions at the Bruce Oake Treatment Centre have now planted roots in the area outside the facility — tree roots that is.

Twenty-eight of the residents of the centre joined local residents and a scout group to plant 150 trees on the west bank of Sturgeon Creek right outside the facility on Saturday.

“The guys were so excited to be able to give back to the community,” said Greg Kyllo, the centre’s executive director.

“They are grateful to be in such a beautiful area on their recovery journey. What they are doing is very important for the recovery process.”

The tree planting was organized by St. James city Coun. Scott Gillingham and the trees, in a variety of species, were provided by the city’s Naturalist Services Branch.

City staff were out earlier to decide where the trees would be planted.

Gillingham said the trees will be added to the city’s campaign to have one million trees planted by the time the city’s population is one million.

“It was a really great collaboration of community members, organizations, and City of Winnipeg staff all coming together to plant trees which will survive for generations,” he said.

Gillingham said there were 20 different species of trees planted — and all had chicken wire around them to protect them.

“We planted on the west side of Sturgeon Creek and on the east side is a large beaver lodge,” he said. “These trees will also keep the bank from eroding.”

Will Huggard, the 1st Crestview Scout Group Commissioner, said the scouts have a long tradition of planting trees in the neighbourhood.

“The Scouting vision is for the youth to make meaningful contributions to creating a better world and we are glad to be doing that again here,” said Huggard in a statement.

Kyllo said the treatment centre’s residents planted 90 of the trees. He said many of them took photos of “their” tree which they planted, with the hopes of seeing them again during the annual alumni get togethers in future.

“The power of community and connection is really a part of the treatment process — we often say the opposite of addiction is connection,” he said. “And one of the most important things in early recovery is to get active.

“It’s a powerful example of community being stronger together.”

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca