Newfoundland is taking the wrap off their brand new, $240 million mental health and addictions centre in St. John’s – and it’s a beauty.

The new facility, opening in spring 2025, includes 102 care beds and a 60-bed hostel. It’s 240,000 sq. feet and includes space for physiotherapy, a fitness studio, art and music areas, a horticultural suite and spaces for spiritual practice. It will also work closely with a local hospital.

From a CBC story:

Chandra Kavanagh, CEO of the Canadian Mental Health Association in Newfoundland and Labrador, praised the facility for its thoughtful and modern design.

“I think that when people visit and get care in spaces like this, it does do some meaningful work to impact the stigma that we can sometimes experience when it comes to mental health and addictions. Simply coming to a beautiful space full of natural light, with thought provoking artwork, is a very different experience than going to, you know, an older building that may not have been well kept.”

Canada needs more of these modern treatment centres and there is no doubt other provinces will be looking at this one.

Each week, ICBA’s Jordan Bateman reflects on what we’ve learned as we participate in ICBA’s Workplace Wellness Program. ICBA’s Workplace Wellness Program is helping more than 100 companies and more than 10,000 construction professionals better understand mental health. This program is free for all ICBA members – check out icba.ca/wellness for details.