Fort St. John Foundry Centre costing province $1 million

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The Foundry Centre coming to Fort St. John will cost the province $1,000,000 upfront and may take up to two years to complete.

According to B.C.’s Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions, the Fort St. John Friendship Society, which will run the centre, is focusing on finding a space and beginning fundraising efforts.

The Government of British Columbia will provide the centre with a $1,000,000 one-time grant for establishing the centre and an additional $600,000 annually once it’s fully operational.

The ministry says, on average, it takes up to two years to open a Foundry Centre, but this timeline can vary due to supply chain challenges.

Before the centre opens, the Fort St. John Friendship Society will engage with youth, families and partners in planning, as well as finding the physical space for the centre, according to the ministry.

Once it is open, Foundry Fort St. John will offer people between the ages of 12 to 24 a youth-friendly, welcoming and appropriate service to fit their needs.

The centre will include mental health and substance use support, drop-in counselling, physical and sexual healthcare, youth and family peer support and social services.

Last summer, Foundry Fort St. John was one of the first new locations to be announced, along with centres to be opened in Sunshine Coast, the Tri-Cities area, Burns Lake, the East Kootenays, Port Hardy, and Surrey.

There are currently 15 Foundry centres in the province and eight in development. The province announced on April 13th that money from the 2023 budget had been earmarked for an additional 12 new centres.

For more information on Foundry or to access the virtual services, visit its website.