Three new cabins have been added to the Muskwa Lake Wellness Camp near Pinehouse. (submitted/Province of Sask.)

By Susan McNeil

Addictions spaces

Three new beds added to treatment space in Pinehouse

Aug 16, 2024 | 12:04 PM

An additional three beds have been added to the 12 already available at the Muskwa Lake Wellness Camp in Pinehouse.

Winterization and building is done on the new cabins, according to a news release from Sask. Mental Health and Addictions.

“Muskwa Lake Wellness Camp brings people together to provide vital, culturally responsive addictions treatment services,” Mental Health and Addictions Minister Tim McLeod said in an emailed release. “I am proud that we can support the camp as it helps people on their recovery journey. The $1.6 million in annual funding will provide the camp with stable and reliable funding to continue its great work.”

The upgrades allow the beds to now be permanent, rather than temporary.

Muskwa Lake Wellness Camp is operated by Kineepik Métis Local #9 and has been in operation for over 37 years.

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The organization also announced plans to construct a main lodge that will be called Sītoskātotān Lodge (pronounced see-to-ska-to-than), meaning “support each other.”

The new lodge is dedicated to the late Leonard McCallum, who pioneered the land-based community healing camp.

“The name Sītoskātotān, meaning ‘supporting each other’ in Cree, captures the spirit of the initiative that Leonard so passionately championed,” Kineepik Métis Local #9 Health and Wellness Manager Kimberly Smith said. “Leonard McCallum was a man of deep conviction who, despite his personal struggles with alcoholism, held a steadfast belief in the power of community and the importance of healing through connection with the land and each other. The Sītoskātotān Lodge stands as a testament to his vision and his unwavering commitment to our community.”

Included in the main lodge will be spaces for group and individual counselling, an industrial kitchen and laundry.

The goal is to provide a safe space where individuals can reconnect with the land, participate in traditional healing practices and find strength in the support of others.

The operational funding agreement for the camp is between Muskwa Lake and the Saskatchewan Health Authority. The camp will be able to service 120 patients a year.

The 15 spaces at Muskwa Lake are part of the provincial government’s commitment to add 500 addictions spaces under the new Action Plan for Mental Health and Addictions.

So far, 213 addictions treatment spaces have been announced including: 15 inpatient treatment spaces at Thorpe Recovery Centre near Lloydminster, 26 post-treatment spaces at St. Joseph’s Addiction Recovery Centre in Estevan, 32 intensive outpatient treatment spaces through Possibilities Recovery Center in Saskatoon, 14 inpatient addictions treatment spaces at the former Drumming Hill Youth Centre facility in North Battleford, 60 inpatient treatment spaces in Lumsden, 15 withdrawal management spaces at Onion Lake and 36 virtual spaces through EHN Canada.

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susan.mcneil@pattisonmedia.com