Manitoba addictions centre offers limited treatment services for $10K monthly fee: advocates, former client

Former workers, clients and advocates question wherefore a household reunification centre successful Brandon, Man., charges residents astir $10,000 a period to unrecorded successful a converted motel room, arguing the terms exploits First Nations communities and authorities agencies that ft the bill. 

One First Nations wellness radical that toured the installation was truthful concerned, it told its members not to nonstop anyone to the centre, saying it was not a due installation for addictions attraction and it charged an "exorbitant amount."

The installation utilized to beryllium location to the Redwood Motor Inn, a 62-room fund motel little than 5 kilometres southbound of the Trans-Canada Highway. 

It was purchased by Mike Bruneau successful 2023 and turned into the Aurora Reunification Village, an offshoot of Bruneau's Aurora Recovery Centre, located successful Gimli, Man. 

When the for-profit installation opened successful June 2023, it touted itself arsenic a harmless spot for parents who are transitioning retired of addiction and trying to reunite with their children.

Soon it was afloat of residents, immoderate paying arsenic overmuch arsenic $9,900 a period per big to unrecorded there, according to documents obtained by CBC. As of May, implicit 100 adults and children were surviving astatine the facility, according to Bruneau.

For a household of 3 sharing 1 room, documents amusement the terms was  $30,000 a period — an magnitude the caput of a Brandon non-profit says exploits funds earmarked to assistance Indigenous people, successful bid to crook a profit. 

"They're taking vantage of our Indigenous funding. That's the bottommost line," said Florence Halcrow, who runs Ask Auntie, an enactment that helps susceptible radical entree services, including lodging and training.

"They cognize that there's backing retired there, and they're taking vantage of our people."

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When she archetypal heard astir Bruneau's program for the Redwood, Halcrow was excited and championed the project. 

But soon, radical who relapsed oregon mislaid their backing were getting kicked retired of Aurora and ending up astatine her doorstep, needing a thrust to their location assemblage oregon startup wealth for rent, Halcrow said. 

"I find radical crying astatine our door, like, 'We don't cognize wherever to go. We don't cognize what to do,'" she said.

The further radical moving to Brandon to unrecorded astatine Aurora meant much enactment for already strained non-profits successful the city, she said. 

"We're implicit capacity, wherever we are getting burnt out," she said.

'I didn't privation to spell in': resident

Jaylene Oniske ended up astatine Aurora successful Brandon a fewer months aft it opened, having work astir the centre online. She had been successful and retired of assorted attraction centres and was looking for determination she could enactment with her spouse and children.

Oniske was capable to get support done Jordan's Principle, a national programme that helps First Nations children entree authorities services, for her household to spell to Aurora for six months.

"We thought we got lucky," she told CBC. 

"But I pulled up, and I didn't privation to spell in. I was like, 'What is this? We're successful a small motel successful Brandon.' And I was shocked."

Oniske, who is from Pimicikamak (Cross Lake First Nation), moved her household from Thompson, Man., to the Aurora Reunification Village successful November 2023. 

Aurora requested $9,900 a period done Jordan's Principle for Oniske, and different $9,900 for her partner, for a six-month stay, according to documents she showed CBC that she received from Aurora. 

Aurora charged $5,000 a period for each of her 2 children, and she stayed determination with her household for much than 5 months, she said.

Documents obtained by CBC amusement the per kid complaint tin fluctuate, with discounts offered to families with galore children.

From the beginning, she had to combat Aurora to supply immoderate services oregon activities for her children, said Oniske.

The reply was ever "we request to hold for funding," she said. 

She said she hardly remembers the programming due to the fact that it wasn't adjuvant — mostly PowerPoint presentations and speechmaking astir parenting. 

If offered small "besides possibly a spot to unrecorded and immoderate nutrient to eat," she said.

"You tin get a batch determination other for a batch cheaper, and astir apt a batch better."

When she near Aurora successful March 2024, she went to different facility and eventually, with the assistance of family, got sober. She started her ain concern successful Thompson and is present backmost with her children.

Kids ran away, near unattended: incidental reports

Incident reports from Aurora obtained by CBC item respective occurrences of clients leaving the premises and coming backmost intoxicated. They besides elaborate incidents successful which children went missing oregon near the installation and were recovered successful assorted parts of the city.

Another incidental study said 2 clients signed retired of Aurora and near their 2 children unsocial successful their room. Workers recommended CFS beryllium notified.

Employees told CBC News they were acrophobic to talk astir Aurora due to the fact that they had been made to motion non-disclosure agreements, and feared Bruneau would writer them if they said anything. 

Emails obtained by CBC amusement Aurora elder unit told employees that pursuing antagonistic comments made connected societal media astir the reunification village, employees were required to motion non-disclosure agreements to guarantee "we support the integrity of our work." 

CBC spoke to aggregate radical who went to Aurora and erstwhile workers, who said the immense bulk of clients are not paying retired of pouch to enactment there. Taxpayer dollars were spent connected their behalf done backing from their First Nation, Jordan's Principle oregon a Child and Family Services agency, the sources said.

An email sent from an Aurora worker to a imaginable lawsuit said it would outgo $44,900 to walk 1 period astatine Aurora Recovery Centre successful Gimli, followed by different 30 days astatine the Brandon reunification colony with their 2 kids.

"The outgo of the reunification programme works retired to [$]10,000 per person," the manager of admissions wrote successful a Dec. 15, 2024, email obtained by CBC. 

Bruneau agreed to bash an on-camera interrogation with CBC connected 3 occasions, but each clip cancelled astatine the past minute. After helium cancelled a scheduled interrogation connected May 22, a CBC newsman called Bruneau.

By phone, Bruneau said helium couldn't sermon the fees Aurora charges due to the fact that of confidentiality. 

In erstwhile statements helium sent, helium denied Aurora charged $9,900 per big and $5,000 per child. 

He wouldn't accidental what the fees are, but said they are based connected the needs of the idiosyncratic and bespeak the "significant" costs that spell into providing 24/7 care. The fees screen accommodations, therapeutic programming, transportation, meals and different operational expenses, said Bruneau.

Bruneau said Aurora is proud of the work done astatine the facility, and said it is filling gaps wherever "the nationalist strategy fails."

During the telephone telephone with Bruneau, helium besides said getting his employees to motion a non-disclosure statement is simply a bully concern practice.

Rosetta Troia, an addictions counsellor who has done consulting enactment with Aurora implicit the years, said she precocious started a part-time occupation moving with families successful some the Gimli and Brandon Aurora facilities.

She said it was "devastating" to perceive radical are acrophobic Aurora is taking vantage of backing earmarked to assistance Indigenous people. Aurora's fees are comparable to different backstage attraction centres, but successful Brandon radical get to unrecorded with their kids, she said.

"We bash this due to the fact that of the spread [in the nationalist sector]," she said successful a telephone interrogation with CBC, adding immoderate clients are surviving astatine Aurora for free.

"If we were taking vantage of them, we would not beryllium prioritizing the Indigenous programming, and filling the gaps specifically for them and listening to the chiefs." 

Fired aft programming complaint: worker

Lorraine Messing, a registered societal worker, discontinue her occupation successful Child and Family Services to articulation Aurora arsenic its CFS liaison erstwhile it archetypal opened. Eventually her rubric would change, and she became the facility's manager of Indigenous programming.

"I got excited due to the fact that it was for Indigenous families and children, and that they were going to beryllium reunited with their children," she said.

But she said the installation was disorganized, it was hard to pass with absorption and it was a conflict to get immoderate Indigenous programming disconnected the ground. She said thing she asked for came down to however overmuch it would cost. 

At slightest 1 lawsuit CBC spoke with confirmed she was required to bargain her ain drum for ceremonial use.

Messing described the day-to-day programming arsenic basal and said clients were encouraged to entree extracurricular resources successful the Brandon community.

"I deliberation our radical were being taken vantage of. I deliberation that wealth was not being utilized to supply what they said they were going to provide," she said.

Messing says erstwhile she complained to Bruneau that determination wasn't capable Indigenous programming, helium fired her. She worked astatine Aurora for astir 5 months. 

Bruneau denied that the installation lacks Indigenous programming. He said successful his statements clients tin entree regular smudging and drumming circles, and person supplies to bash beadwork and hidework and to marque ribbon skirts. 

When CBC was invited to circuit Aurora's Brandon installation connected May 5 — Red Dress Day — a drumming ellipse was held outside.

Bruneau said Aurora was opened rapidly successful effect to "an urgent need" for family-centre betterment services, and "because of this accelerated launch, not everything was cleanable successful the beginning."

"However, we've listened, adapted and grown," helium wrote.

Report raises reddish flags

Frank Turner, the enforcement of Cree Nation Tribal Health — an Indigenous-owned wellness advocacy programme — toured Aurora's Brandon gathering successful January 2024 with his staff. 

They were truthful acrophobic with what they saw that 1 unit subordinate wrote a study informing organizations not to nonstop radical there.  

"It wasn't a due installation for this benignant of an addictions centre oregon addictions healing," Turner told CBC.

"I volition not authorize a outgo of specified an exorbitant magnitude for the benignant of services that you are getting," helium told his organization.

Turner sent the report, written by a supervising lawsuit manager in January 2024, to Indigenous Services Canada and different agencies, outlining what it called "alarming information" Cree Nation Tribal Health learned astir the Brandon facility.

According to the report:

• Aurora charged clients $10,000 a period to enactment astatine a installation that was "not providing immoderate nonrecreational healing/treatment services."
• Daily programming consisted of cleaning, cooking and watching euphony videos.
• There were nary nurses oregon physicians connected site.
• Aurora offered clients "false hope" they would get their kids backmost aft apprehension by Child and Family Services.
• Aurora was "targeting" Indigenous radical who conflict with addiction and who person difficulties navigating CFS.

"I would not urge that our Indigenous radical beryllium sent to this facility, arsenic it is hazardous physically, mentally and it is not a conducive situation for the well-being of their clients who are attempting to retrieve from addiction," the manager wrote successful the report.

In an emailed statement, Indigenous Services Canada confirmed determination was "an allegation brought forward" astir the Brandon facility. However, citing privateness concerns, the section didn't connection further details.

'Desperate situation'

The willingness of organizations to wage the benignant of fees Aurora charges points to a increasing request for much options for families successful crisis, according to the enforcement manager of a non-profit attraction centre successful Alberta.

In Manitoba, getting into a publically funded addiction attraction abstraction tin instrumentality up to six months, and determination are presently nary publically funded options that let idiosyncratic to beryllium with their children. 

"It is simply a hopeless situation," said Bruce Holstead, the enforcement manager of Fresh Start Recovery successful Alberta. 

"You bash request to instrumentality vantage of a motel, due to the fact that determination is nary different assets disposable to you astatine a just outgo successful which you tin beryllium provided services." 

But that doesn't negate the request to supply services that lucifer the cost, said Holstead.

While helium said he's not acquainted with the operations of Aurora, astatine the outgo the centre is charging, families should not beryllium stuck successful 1 country together, helium said.

"It's 1 happening to spell distant arsenic a household and bent retired successful the edifice country for the play and person a full clump of fun," said Holstead.

"But if I had an anticipation and I was trying to bring a household backmost unneurotic … that placement requires abstraction for the children to person their ain room."

He would besides expect aesculapian unit on-site, on with registered societal workers, a Red Seal cook and certified counsellors. 

Currently, determination are 37 employees successful full astatine the Brandon facility.

There are nary aesculapian unit astatine the Brandon location, but Bruneau said clients person entree to doctors through Aurora's Gimli location, which is astir 230 kilometres away. None of the Brandon unit listed connected Aurora's website are registered societal workers.

In a statement, Bruneau said immoderate unit chose to not person their names published online, truthful the database is not reflective of their afloat worker list. 

Bruneau also said the Brandon installation does not connection a accepted standalone addiction attraction program, but that "recovery principles are embedded throughout."

Bruneau invited CBC to circuit the installation connected May 5, aft cancelling a scheduled interview.

He did not be the tour. Three workers from Aurora Recovery successful Gimli were sent to the Brandon centre to springiness the tour, and nary Brandon workers were made disposable to bash an interview. 

Inside the installation is simply a engaged reception area. A excavation that had been portion of the motel has been filled successful and turned into a multipurpose room. Nearby is simply a child-care room, wherever parents tin permission their children erstwhile attending programming. 

Food has to beryllium brought successful due to the fact that the centre doesn't person a commercialized kitchen. 

As a information of the metropolis allowing the centre to operate, the room was expected to beryllium operational by October 2024. During the tour, workers astatine Aurora said it is inactive nether construction, but would not fto reporters look inside. 

A docket posted astatine reception showed regular programming from 9 a.m. to curfew astatine 10 p.m., including a sharing circle, skills group, a wellness walk, self-care classes and co-ed sweats. 

Program helpful: resident

During the tour, CBC met Tiffany Bouchard, who moved into Aurora with her 2 children successful April to be a six-week addiction attraction program. Bouchard lives successful Thunder Bay, Ont., and was struggling with intoxicant abuse.

She didn't cognize each the details of what her attraction program would include, but said her purpose was to larn to emotion herself.

"This spot allows maine to beryllium myself, and I person my kids here. That's the main important thing," she said during an interrogation with CBC pursuing the tour. 

Her days were busy, filled with motivational meetings, programming and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings successful the evening, she said.

Bouchard couldn't retrieve the sanction of the enactment paying for her enactment oregon the cost, but said she knew "it costs a batch of money." 

An Aurora worker who was successful the country told CBC they would supply the complaint being charged, but Bruneau aboriginal declined to say, citing confidentiality. 

WATCH | Former workers, clients rise concerns about family reunification centre:

After sending questions to Bruneau, CBC received implicit a twelve testimonials from clients and workers, expressing the affirmative interaction Aurora has had connected their beingness and sobriety journey.

Many of the testimonials from erstwhile and existent clients said Aurora helped them by giving them a unchangeable spot to unrecorded and allowing them to beryllium with their children. In immoderate cases, they said it was the lone mode Child and Family Services would let them to each unrecorded together.

Grand Chief Walter Wastesicoot of Keewatin Tribal Council, which represents 11 First Nations successful bluish Manitoba, sent an email to CBC saying helium has toured the installation and has nary concerns. He said radical from those bluish communities person gone to some Aurora Recovery successful Gimli and the Brandon location. 

No 1 has raised alarms to him astir the facility, and determination is nary hold clip to get into the Brandon location, dissimilar successful the nationalist sector, Wastesicoot said successful the email. He declined to bash a followup interview.

Fern Cook, a enactment idiosyncratic astatine Sandy Bay First Nation, said she has sent galore families to the Brandon facility, but she declined to bash an interview. Instead, she sent a missive praising the facility, stating it offers "safe, sober second-stage treatment."

Many members person been sponsored oregon received reduced rates to enactment successful Brandon, said Cook. She declined to reply immoderate followup questions oregon accidental however overmuch the First Nation pays for each set member's stay.

Owner opened different centres

Bruneau has opened akin operations successful Winnipeg, Thompson and Snow Lake, each of which person since shuttered. In Winnipeg, tenants were ordered retired of a condo analyzable successful November 2024 aft Bruneau opened a reunification colony determination earlier successful the year. Some ended up astatine Aurora successful Brandon.

A caller reunification colony opened successful Estevan, Sask., successful June, aft Bruneau purchased the Quality Inn and Motel 6, according to media reports. In a May interrogation with the online quality tract SaskToday, Bruneau said his facilities don't conscionable connection one-month oregon six-week programs.

"I conscionable decided I had to deliberation extracurricular of the box. We're doing a lot. We person immoderate members for a twelvemonth oregon much … they don't permission until they're acceptable and we cognize they tin marque it," Bruneau was quoted arsenic saying successful the May 22 story.

Former nonmigratory Jaylene Oniske, who said she met immoderate large radical astatine Aurora, said she doesn't privation to spot the Brandon centre unopen down, but she does privation it to supply the services it is promising.

That constituent is echoed by Ask Auntie's Halcrow, who says Aurora needs to little its fees and enactment with the assemblage successful Brandon to assistance people.

"What's going to hap erstwhile each the backing runs retired for our First Nations?" she said. 

"We request to hole it now."