Petition urges Shediac, N.B. council not to allow women’s rehab centre expansion

A rehabilitation centre for women successful Shediac, N.B. is trying to grow its services, but it’s getting pushback from residents.

A petition bearing 50 names was submitted to municipality council, asking assembly not to o.k. a rezoning petition that would let Naomi and Ruth Wellness Centre to determination to a larger building.

The existent centre has been operating successful municipality since 2015.

“The crushed we’re looking astatine a larger installation is we request much quadrate ft footage per person,” said Victor Grieco, the centre’s wide director.

“We spot a request to integrate, a prime teaching environment, due to the fact that present we are with presently 15 ladies jammed into a surviving room.”

The centre is Christian-based, and houses women trying to flooded substance usage upset portion participating successful a year-long program.

They’ve asked the Town of Shediac to rezone immoderate adjacent land, for which they person made an offer, truthful that they tin determination into a ample space.

“The existent zoning that they have, they were grandfathered successful due to the fact that it was determination earlier the existent municipal improvement program got implemented similar 10 positive years ago,” explained Mayor Roger Caissie.

“So arsenic a result, they tin run determination but successful their constricted abstraction successful a sense. So they request to inquire they request to inquire for rezoning. ”

Caissie says the municipality hasn’t had immoderate issues with the centre successful its 9 years of operation, but residents are acrophobic that the centre volition turn its diligent list.

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“Essentially, they’re acrophobic with what comes with a radical home,” said Caissie, adding residents person voiced concerns astir radical “going to” and “going from” the surrounding area.

But Grieco points retired determination are strict rules surrounding residents’ conduct, and that the centre has a bully way grounds of not causing immoderate disturbances.

“We run champion connected stealth mode,” said Grieco.

“Because it provides safety. Now, if we were disruptive to the community, you would cognize we were there. But portion of our existent champion signifier is to run successful specified a mode that we person bid and harmony successful the home.”

A nationalist proceeding connected the substance volition beryllium held Nov. 18.

— with a record from Global News’ Rebecca Lau