Adventure Group to take over operation of Charlottetown outreach centre

The Community Outreach Centre in Charlottetown will have a new operator beginning April 18, the province announced Tuesday.

The Adventure Group, a registered charitable organization incorporated in 1992 to address the needs of young people and their parents, will lead the day-to-day operations of the centre with support from the P.E.I. division of the Canadian Mental Health Association, Upper Room Hospitality Ministry and ResourceAbilities.

The centre opened just over two years ago as a pilot program for a warming shelter run by the Salvation Army and Community Outreach Centre Working Group.

The Adventure Group will be implementing more supports at the centre, including additional case management, access to mental health services and career counselling, said executive director Roxanne Carter Thompson.

"We have hired a director who will be overseeing the centre and work with the staff that are already there and look at what complement of services need to be available and what complement of staffing needs to be available so that we can build on what's already been created, look and identify what the gaps are and then add those complementary services," she said.

The centre will continue to be open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Support will be offered to people seeking financial assistance, counselling, employment as well as food and housing.

Islanders will also be able to access washrooms, laundry facilities, telephones and computers as well as connections to community and government organizations and services.

Brad Trivers, minister of social development and housing, said Adventure Group has a very good track record of helping Islanders.

"They've been very successful at that for many years now. They're very involved in the mental health space as well."

Unanswered questions, Greens say

The Opposition Green Party said that while it's encouraging that government is more widely engaging community partners to help Islanders needing mental health, addictions, and shelter services, there are also some unanswered questions.

"Despite promising to do things differently, the King government has struggled to be transparent and upfront," said Green MLA Karla Bernard in a news release.

"In November 2020 they signed an untendered $3.7 million, three-year contract with The Salvation Army for it to operate Bedford MacDonald House, Smith Lodge, and Community Outreach Centre without clearly defining expectations for reporting or provision of services. Now, we have another group appointed to do the work without any public disclosure of the process of how they were selected. There is also no disclosure of what happens to the money that was given to The Salvation Army."