Neqotkuk First Nation and Indigenous Services Canada celebrate Wolastoqewiyik Healing Lodge expansion

Neqotkuk First Nation and Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) are marking the completion of a major renovation and expansion of the Wolastoqewiyik Healing Lodge. The facility provides holistic health, wellness and addiction recovery support to Neqotkuk members and people from other First Nation communities in New Brunswick. Operated in connection with the Neqotkuk Health Center, it is intended to expand access to culturally safe, trauma-informed services that support healing, recovery and overall well-being for individuals, families and the community.

The project has increased the Lodge’s capacity to deliver comprehensive wellness and addiction recovery programming in a safe, welcoming setting. Guided by Indigenous approaches to healing, its supports promote physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellness, and help people build resilience, reconnect with culture and work toward long-term recovery. The Lodge operates 24 hours a day to support community residents’ safety. Its single-storey building includes individual sleeping rooms, common washrooms, a kitchen, dining area, offices, a multipurpose room, storage and service spaces.

ISC provided $2.6 million for the renovation and expansion. The program is operating and serving clients in surrounding First Nation communities.

Neqotkuk Chief Ross Perley said the community is pleased with the upgrades to its addiction rehabilitation facility. He said Canada’s investment will help provide important healing services and build people’s strength when they are at their weakest because of addictions. Perley said the Lodge will save many lives and that the community looks forward to its continued success.

Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty said no one should have to face addiction recovery alone. She said a safe place to find support, reconnect with culture and rebuild one’s life can make a significant difference. The government is proud to support the expansion so more people can access care close to home and among their community, she said, congratulating Perley and Neqotkuk First Nation for their leadership.

Deana Sappier, health director for Neqotkuk Health Programs and Services, said the renovation and expansion had long been a community vision. She said it was good to see the project nearing completion so community members could continue their healing journeys. Staff took feedback from clients and incorporated it into the revised program, while also upgrading their training in trauma-informed practice, medication management and pharmacology, Sappier said.

Neqotkuk First Nation, formerly known as Tobique First Nation, is one of six Wolastoqiyik reserves in New Brunswick and the province’s largest rural Wolastoqiyik reserve, with a population of about 2,500. The single-storey Wolastoqewiyik Healing Lodge was built in 2003 and is part of the accredited Neqotkuk Health Center. The health centre offers other programs and services, including a community garden, maternal health, medical transportation and family physician clinics.