The Current - Newfoundlanders pledge their own money to build rehab centre

Episode Date: February 25, 2025

Ryan Kirby and Mark Lane have poured about $1.1 million of their own money into setting up a new addiction treatment centre in Newfoundland, even putting their homes up as collateral. They talk to Matt Galloway about how the impact of addiction on their own lives and communities made them want to make a difference.

What does a mummified Egyptian child, the Parthenon marbles of Greece and an Irish giant all have in common? They are all stuff the British stole. Maybe. Join me, Mark Fennell, as I travel around the globe uncovering the shocking stories of how some, let's call them ill-gotten, artifacts made it to faraway institutions. Spoiler, it was probably the British. Don't miss a brand new season of Stuff the British Style. Watch it free on CBC Gem. if I might ask a favour of you, if you could hit the follow button on whatever app you're using. There is a lot of news that's out there these days. We're trying to help you make sense of it all and give you a bit of a break from some of that news too. So if you already follow the program,

thank you. And if you have done that, maybe you could leave us a rating or review as well. The whole point of this is to let more listeners find our show and perhaps find some of that information that's so important in these really tricky times. So thanks for all of that. Appreciate it. And on to today's show. Ryan Kirby and Mark Lane have a dream. On a waterfront property in Samanier Line, Newfoundland, that dream is becoming a reality. The two men are building an addiction treatment center and once it's open it will become one

of the only three live-in addiction rehab facilities for adults in Newfoundland and Labrador, a province dealing with a sharp increase in drug overdose deaths. But these men say their facility will be different. The duo has more than just their dream on the line. They have poured their life savings of more than a million dollars into fixing up the former summer camp, even putting their own homes on the line to borrow money. Ryan Kirby and Mark Lane are both with me this morning from our studio in St. John's. Good morning to you both.

Good morning. Good morning. Ryan, this is such an interesting story and I want to start with you. Mark, we'll get to you in a moment. But Ryan, begin with your own involvement in this. Tell us why you're building this and what you're building. Yeah. So, we have this beautiful property up on the Salmon Air line that became available

a couple of years ago. Mark approached us and thought it would be a great idea. We immediately jumped on it. It's been two and a half years now that we've been working at this. It's something obviously near and dear to me because I personally struggled myself. So the ability or the chance to help other people and to maybe show people ways that helped me, it was just an amazing opportunity. So yeah, I wanted to take that opportunity. And we're working every day up on site right now trying to get the building renovated

and hoping to open in June. Do you mind me asking you about your own struggles? You described yourself as a recovering cocaine addict and alcoholic. Can you tell me a little bit about that? And I guess when you started using, but also how extensive that use became for you. Yeah, I mean, you know, I think it, like a lot of people, it started very harmlessly,

I would say, when I was, you know, in my late teens, early twenties, and just, you know, going out on the weekends and, you know, partying and doing these things. You know, I know I have a very, very addictive personality, I learned. When people were going home at the end of the night, I couldn't shut it off. I wanted to keep going. Sometimes I'd be up for days and it got really, really bad for me. I'm almost seven years now with sobriety and clean time under my belt. Congratulations.

Oh, thank you so much, man. It's incredible. I tell people it's one of the coolest things about me is that I've done this and I found a new lease on life. That's awesome. Yeah, man. Yeah, for sure. You tried rehab, right?

I did. Yeah, I actually did rehab twice. I didn't, I don't think, I took it seriously the first time, but you know, when I came out, I went, you know, more or less, I went back into the same environment and things that I had been into before. So it just, yeah, it just didn't work for me. You know, I was white-knuckling it, I would call it, you know. And so when I went back the second time and came out, again, at call it, you know, and so when I went back the second time and came out

Again at the beginning, you know, it was tough But then I found this you know this alternative and this other way now, you know I was hitting meetings every day and different things but when I found You know, I actually to just I had a really good friend who was who was always there for me but you know when I struggled he really stepped up and He started getting me out in the mornings and we would just do morning runs out on Signal Hill or down at Kitty Vitty Lake. And then, yeah, that turned into more people hearing about us running and wanted to come

out and run with us and it turned into big group morning workouts. And we would go, we would do guided hikes on the weekends, all of us. We would go on the East Coast Trail. And so that's where I found this new lease on life that I talk about. That's amazing. It's waking up early in the mornings.

It's making my bed. It's seeing a sunrise. Basic things, but I found that these things bring me so much joy, and it fills up my day and Yeah, so yeah, I just feel very lucky So with that new lease on life and that's amazing that you found that why did why did you? Want to get involved in building something like this building a rehab facility that perhaps would be different than the one That that did not stick for you, right? Yeah Well, I mean they say in the program that you know, you can only keep what you have by giving it away.

And so I think that this is the ultimate way to give back and to, you know, really make a change, just not, you know, for the province, but basically, you know, this is something that can help people all across Canada and the world. So it's, you know, I want to help people. That's the basics. And, you know, I know for myself people. That's the basics. And you know, I know for myself, I had such an incredible support system and people who,

when I struggled, were right there by my side and willing to help me in any way possible. And you know what? I know a lot of people are not as lucky as I am, and they don't have those supports. So that's us. We act as that support. You know, when you call us now and you tell us you need help, we're with you. And then we're with you for years after. We're following you and making sure, you know, we're by your side.

Adam Lichman, Ph.D. Mark, how did you get involved in this? Mark A. Well, I'm from Holyrood. I live just up the road from the facility. Adam Lichman And this is an old summer camp, right? Mark A. It is. So when I was the chief executive officer of Easter Seals, an organization for children with disabilities, we used to rent the camp for that specific purpose. Several of my friends have actually gotten hitched there. They got married, had their ceremonies there. And so I watched it being built.

And when we noticed that it was closed in and around 2019, it came upon me, and I knew the Kirby family, Ryan and his dad. I approached them, or we mutually approached one another, and we said, you know what? What can we do with this facility? It's a shame to have such a beautiful, what we term a sanctuary, actually. It's beautiful to, you know, it was sad to see it become dilapidated. And so the three of us kind of just looked at each other and said, you know what? It's going to be a rehab.

And we're very pleased to do that. I mean, you know, every single family is impacted by drugs and alcohol. I was going to say, of all of the things that it could have been, why did you land on the idea of it being a rehab? You know, I've got alcoholism in my family as well. Not in my immediate family, but, you know, cousins and grandparents and things like that over the years. I mean, it's something that's just more prevalent.

I've got friends, you know, who have addiction. I served 22 years in the military. A lot of my friends, you know, struggle with PTSD, and they cope. Coping mechanism is drugs and alcohol. So when we looked at what we could do to make a difference, sure, we could have opened it up as a corporate retreat and we actually discussed that in the very beginning. But that's not what's needed right now. What's needed right now in Newfoundland and Labrador is help for the people who are struggling

with addictions right now and we feel that this facility with the proper programming and the right complement to staff, we can actually shift the needle. We can complement the two existing public treatment centers that exist, add the third, which would almost double the provincial capacity, and work with the government and Newfoundland Laboratorial Health Services and work with the community groups that are on the front lines with addictions and let's get to work and help out people. It's a growing problem.

I don't know if people classify it as an epidemic. I've seen that. But I mean, even in my small rural remote town of Holyrood, I can see it. I see it every day and it's heartbreaking. Did you have any idea what you were getting into? I mean, you launched this idea, but now your house is up for it, right? Yeah, I mean, look, I had a health scare myself 25 years ago, and life is short. And you know, what's the purpose if you can, as Ryan said, I mean, it's about helping other people.

Yeah, I mean, my mother freaks out when she realizes that we've put our house up for collateral and we're going to do it again for a mortgage. What do you say to her? I love you mom, forgive me. Basically, you know, she, listen, I've, part of who, a lot of who I am, I attribute it to my parents. And I remember Christmas time and there's always strangers in my house Christmas time. And it was people who needed a family at Christmas.

And when I was young, I really didn't appreciate it as much as I do today, but looking back, I'm very proud to be able to replicate, I guess, what my parents taught me what to do, and just be kind. There's no playbook for this type of fraud. Many couples dream of adopting a child, but what if that dream became a nightmare? She kept telling us, forget about Serena's baby.

Now Tara has a problem because there's no baby. And we all became investigators. From Sony Music Entertainment and Perfect Cadence, this is Baby Broker. Available now on The Binge. Search for Baby Broker wherever you get your podcasts to start listening today. Brian, why do you think this setting will be special and perhaps different than than your own experience in rehab? Taking a look at it, I mean, there's these, you know, the cabins in this semicircle and a kind of a main building at the heart of it. And it looks

it looks like a beautiful setting, but why do you think that that will help people? Yeah, no, it's, you know, we had a lady come up from a facility across Canada and when she drove onto the property, she literally got out of her car and she said, this is programming. Like, you know, we have two or three trail, this trail system going through our property that walks right along our kilometer of waterfront. It's, you know, I get up there every morning, you know, around 6, 37 o'clock and the sun's going through our property that walks right along our kilometer of waterfront. It's, you know, I get up there every morning, you know, around 6, 37 o'clock and the sun's breaking over the cabins. It's quiet.

You can, you know, all you hear are the birds. It's just, you know, you get this peace and like solitude when you come up on this property. So, you know, I don't know of many other facilities that would have a property like this. And, you know, we have this ability to be able to grow up there as well. So, yeah, there's just, you know, there's this feeling you get. And, you know, being able to utilize that property and do programming outside, you know, we have all the available like for winter, you know, you can go skating up there in the winter, you can skidooing, you know, we got quads, you can do all of these different things.

And based on your own experience, I mean, being outside you think will be a real benefit to people who are in recovery? A major, major, major benefit. I can say that, you know, the facility that I went to was in the most spectacular, one of the most spectacular places in Newfoundland and there was no programming outside. Everything was done in the building. You know, there were lots of forms and things you had to sign even just to, you know, go for a little walk to be able to see the spectacular setting that you're in.

So I mean, you know, we want to utilize that. We want to use as much programming and different things as we can with the property that we have. Mark mentioned there are only a couple of live-in rehab facilities in the province, and because of that, I mean, I've read about in the wait times, but also people can end up being sent out of province for treatment, right? That is correct. I don't know the exact number. I do know a number of individuals who've been sent out of the province.

What do you think the impact of that is? And when people are going through something as difficult as trying to get help, and the option is you can get help, sure, but you're not in your home. Home, man. What do you think the impact of that is, and when people are going through something as difficult as trying to get help, and the option is you can get help, sure, but you're not in your home. What do you think the impact of that is? Yeah, I think it just adds, you know, another complicated layer to things, you know, getting away from your family and people who, you know, would maybe want to be there to support you. I know I was lucky enough that the facility was close that, you know, someone could come on the weekends and say hello and I could see a familiar face.

You know, but I can only imagine the feeling of having to get on a plane when you're probably at your lowest point traveling somewhere that you're very unfamiliar with. Yeah, I think it just adds these other layers that, you know, just make the process a bit more difficult. Mark, there's a stigma that still exists around addiction and a treatment in particular can be stigmatized. People might say, well, I feel terrible for that person, but I don't want, for example, the treatment facility near us, it's better if it's somewhere else. When you went to the public with this project

and you shared your vision for what this site was going to be like, what was the reaction that you got? One of the risks that we identified in our business plan was NIMBY, so not in my backyard, very unexpectedly and unfortunately I would say because it's an indication of the need. We got thousands and thousands of emails, messages, texts, etc. that continue minute by minute every day. I expect more after today's feature here on The Current. We have social license to operate.

One of the things we want to do is prove that a treatment center is good for the human good, it's good for communities, it's good for individuals and families, and it's good for the local economy. Are you surprised by that reaction? I was a little bit, but no, not really, because we're Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, we're a friendly bunch. You know, many of the people who live on the street, I live on the same street as the treatment center and many people who live on that street have reached out and congratulated and offered

support. But it's a double-edged sword, so I think it's also an indication of the underlying problem that everybody's impacted by it so when they see that there's a you know a light at the end of the tunnel whereby there may be additional well not may there will be additional programming in this field I think people are super excited about it because people need help. Let me ask you Mark just about some of the the practical things here this is going to be a non-profit so how is this going to work who will pay for example for the treatment?

Well, we're in the process now, early discussions with government and Newfoundland Labrador Health Services. What we're hoping is that once we're functional, that we can get referrals from physicians and paid for through the MCP program here in the province. What have you heard from government? One of the things CBC asked them for comment and the government said, particularly through the health department, this project is still in development phase. The government continues to stay informed as the project evolves. What have you heard?

Is the sense that the government will step in here? I think so. We have a tour tomorrow or Thursday, I think, with some senior leadership in the Newfoundland Labrador Health Services. I mean, look, it's a no-brainer for government to work with us to invest in this. Addiction is expensive. It's taxing on the— Trevor Burrus It's also everywhere, as you said.

David Morgan It's everywhere. You know, so with all the different things that we finance through the government, I can't see why we wouldn't invest in our own people to save lives, first and foremost, and to also enable people to get back to a sense of normality and a life of sobriety. And you'll have people that will be able to work there. I mean the province is also desperate for health care workers. Well, we've also identified in our business plan one of the risks is about human resource capacity. We don't think that's going to be an issue. We've had well over 100 people reach out to us about employment. Many people who have either retired or currently work

in addictions here in the province and across the country for that matter. So we don't anticipate that's going to be a problem. Is there anything that could present itself as a roadblock to prevent this centre from opening, Mark? I mean, the idea of it is so powerful and the commitment that you both have to it is really quite something too. We're persistent. Well, Ryan and I both believe in it.

Our families believe in the project, the community believes in the project, and the thousands of people we've heard from across the province believe in this project. Because we have a team, a team of people who need help, want help, want to see people get help and want to see people they love get help, we are confident this is going to work. And one of the big things we want to do is track the actual outcomes. So it's not about the number of people coming through the door. It's about the actual outcomes post discharge. Ryan, what has surprised you about this?

Having your own personal experience in this, but also committed so much to it yourself as this project has come to life. What has surprised you the most? You know, I would think the people Understanding how many people are struggling. I did not you know, we I knew it was there was an issue But when we first went I think we made a Facebook post about a month ago is when I was completely just blown away and shocked at the outcry from everyone and you know both of our phones. I have Hundreds of messages from people just when do you open how like what can how can I get in? I need my son my daughter my husband my wife

You know, it's just it really hit home to me just how prevalent of how serious this issue is And so it's just there's this feeling you know of you We have whatever it takes, we have to open this place and we have to get this open. Pete Slauson And so, the plan is to open it in June? Ryan McHenry It is, yes. Yeah. Pete Slauson Who are you going to think about when you open the doors, Ryan?

Ryan McHenry Did you say who am I going to think about? Pete Slauson Yeah. I mean, because people will come through those doors. You mentioned all the people who have been getting in touch with you, people who have supported you. When you open those doors and somebody walks in, who are you going to be thinking about? Wow, that's an incredible question. You know, my parents have been such an incredible support system for me. You know, they're not together, but, you know, they come together for me whenever needed. And, you know, to be able to, you know, be able to do this and help the people that we're hoping to help, I just can't think of a better feeling.

So, man, there's lots I'm going to think of, for sure. What about for you, Mark? You put a lot into this, right? Well, my kids. When I grew up at around the Bay in rural Newfoundland, drugs wasn't a big problem. I mean, you heard about it, you saw it. It wasn't the same type of drugs that exist today. One of my biggest fears in this new world we live in is these synthetic drugs. And I mean, addiction is, there's an invisible line.

And so I'm thinking about my kids, I mean, and other people's kids. Can we actually put a dent into the crisis that we feel exists in the province or we know exists in the province? And can we set up a or help contribute to a society that's gonna be better for my children? Both of you are doing amazing work and it comes with sacrifice,

but it is that idea that you can build something and help your own community. Thank you both for talking to us. Mark, it's good to speak with you. Mark Averkirth Oh, thank you, Matt. Matthew Feeney-Sproat And Ryan, good to talk to you. Do you still have this running group that's out? Ryan McHenry Yeah, man, you know what? I run daily.

Our group has sort of gotten a bit smaller right now. You know, the last year I have been, you know, nose deep in this project. So I run every morning by myself, you know, my alarm goes off at 440. And then, you know, I hit the gym and there's, you know, there's a few things and ways I like to start my day. So yeah, man, always running. Pete Slauson If you get the group back together, I'd love to come and be part of it. That would be great. Mark Lane Oh, man. Amazing for sure.

Pete Slauson And we'll see the site when we're in St. John's the next time. Thank you both. Mark Lane Thank you. Mark Lane and Ryan Kirby, both in our St. John's Newfoundland studio.