Construction of the Maskêkosihk Recovery Community is moving forward on Enoch Cree Nation, with leaders calling the project a milestone in healing and reconciliation.
Mental Health and Addiction Minister Rick Wilson and Chief Cody Thomas spoke Friday about the new facility, which is being built west of Edmonton through a $35-million provincial investment.
“It’s impressive to see how quickly construction is moving along on the Maskêkosihk recovery community,” Wilson said. “Chief had me here a few months ago. He says, ‘Don’t worry, I’ll be open by Christmas.’ I thought, ‘Yeah, right.’ But he’s going to do it.”
The 75-bed centre is expected to open in early 2026 and will serve up to 300 people a year, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, seeking treatment and long-term recovery support.
Wilson said the recovery community approach emphasizes relationships, culture and purpose.
“Recovery communities are built on the idea that healing happens through connection with others, with culture, and with purpose,” he said. “It recognizes that recovery isn’t something that people do alone. That approach aligns beautifully with Indigenous teachings which emphasize healing through community, ceremony, connection to land, and to spirit.”
The minister said Alberta is investing more than $180 million to work with Indigenous communities in building recovery centres, with five of the province’s 11 new facilities being developed in direct partnership with First Nations.
Chief Cody Thomas described the project as both emotional and forward-looking.
“This moment’s significant,” Thomas said. “I’m just thinking back on a lot of our relatives that possibly should have been here still and we didn’t have the tools to successfully stabilize them. If we would have had something like this years ago, we could have saved a lot of lives.”
He said the centre will provide more than treatment.
“A recovery community will be more than just a recovery program. It’ll be a place of connection, healing, and renewal. Rooted in Indigenous traditions and cultural values, Enoch will offer a safe, supportive space for those seeking guidance on their journey to wellness,” Thomas said.
Randall Bell, executive director of Stone Bear Recovery Solutions, said the project grew from the need for new approaches that better reflect Indigenous values.
“When we look at the statistics, the statistics of our young people dying, the numbers going up, our elders are dying 20 years younger than non-Indigenous elders. We have to do something. And this is an Indigenous health crisis,” Bell said. “What we’ve built here is a first step in that road to recovery as individuals and as communities.”
The facility will operate with the support of Edgewood Health Network and follow a four-phase recovery model that allows participants to move at their own pace with guidance from peers, elders and cultural practices.
Wilson said Alberta’s model is drawing national and international attention.
“Every time we put up a new facility like this, 75 beds, that’s substantial. You’re going to start seeing a difference being made and lives being saved,” he said. “Next week we’ve got a big conference coming up down in Calgary. People from around the world are coming to see what we’re doing here. I think we got 3,500 people registered for our addiction recovery conference.”