Ground breaks on new Anne Oake Recovery Centre in Winnipeg

Ground has officially broken for the construction of the Anne Oake Recovery Centre.

Officials gathered Tuesday at the future site – Snow Street and Dartmouth Drive behind Victoria General Hospital – to mark the first steps of the project.

The centre will provide treatment to women battling addiction and is dedicated to Anne Oake – the matriarch behind the Bruce Oake Recovery Centre, which was named after her son following his death from an overdose.

Anne passed away a week before the first cohort graduated from the Bruce Oake Recovery Centre.

"I just wanted to really shout out to the important work of Scott and Darcy (Oake) and the whole family, to reflect on the journey that brought us through your important work at the Bruce Oake Recovery Centre. And now today, I think it just represents the best of who we are as people, as Manitobans, as Canadians," said Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew. "You've turned loss into something generous and filled with heart for the entire community."

The Anne Oake Recovery Centre was part of Manitoba's budget in 2024 and will allow women to seek treatment and still have their kids by their side during that process.

"We know for many women, that fear of losing your children stands as a barrier, stands in the way of pursuing recovery," said Kinew. "We're going to be able to take away one more barrier and make that path towards a better life all the more within reach."

Scott Oake, Anne's husband and the president of the Bruce Oake Memorial Foundation, said no woman will get turned away from the centre because they can't afford treatment.

"It's a game changer. It's worked beautifully at Bruce Oake and it will work just as well at the Anne Oake Recovery Centre," said Scott Oake.

"Anne and I, before she died three years ago, had a lot of conversations about how beautiful it would be if we could provide the same services to women and their children. And in fact, it's always been the long-term goal of our foundation…I can only imagine how proud and how touched Anne would be."

He said construction will begin as "fast as humanly possible" noting procedures need to be followed.

The Bruce Oake Recovery Centre is 43,000 square feet and cost over $15 million to build. Oake said the Anne Oake Recovery Centre will need more space as more services will be required, such as a daycare.

The foundation has set a funding target goal of $25 million and so far, they have been able to raise $12 million.

"Bruce Oake Recovery Centre operates mortgage-free and we were able to raise all the money because the community responded from the heart. Early returns suggest that we'll be able to do the same for the Anne Oake Recovery Centre."