Alberta funds two new pre-treatment homes at Oxford House in Edmonton

Alberta is funding two new pre-treatment homes at Oxford House in Edmonton, providing housing and support for approximately 140 Albertans annually during the four- to six-week period after detox and before treatment begins.

The $300,000 commitment is part of a broader $10-million provincial investment in pre- and post-treatment housing. Mental Health and Addiction Minister Rick Wilson acknowledged what he called a critical gap in the system. "These new homes will provide people who have completed detox and the support and care they need before entering into treatment," Wilson said at a press conference on Tuesday.

Edmonton accounts for more than half of Alberta's opioid-related deaths—290 in the first half of 2026 out of 506 provincial deaths. The city also logged nearly 70 per cent of the province's emergency medical services calls related to opioid incidents in 2025. Earl Thiessen, executive director of Oxford House Foundation, created the pre-treatment program after struggling to access care himself. "This lethal waiting period is where 1,000s of lives have been lost," Thiessen said. The organization already operates 27 recovery homes across Calgary, Edmonton and Drumheller, serving people with substance-use histories who are homeless or at risk.

One pre-treatment home will be designated for men, the other for women. Each will have a house lead on site 24-7, plus addiction counsellors and recovery coaches. Oxford House first piloted the pre-treatment model in Calgary before expanding to Edmonton. The province also noted that opioid-related deaths have trended downward even as emergency response calls climbed, suggesting more people are surviving overdoses but facing barriers to sustained treatment.