‘No safety, no stability’: Recovery centre tenants forced to find new homes following court-ordered cease and desist

After less than six months, families living in a southern Winnipeg condominium development are being forced to move out.

Twenty-three of 24 units in the West Building at 873 Waverley St. are owned by Aurora Recovery Centre (ARC), a facility that helps those with addiction issues carve a path to sobriety. The complex, known as the Aurora Reunification Village, was created to reconnect mothers with their children while in recovery.

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But now, that village is being taken down.

CTV News spoke to a tenant who asked to not be identified because she is undergoing treatment.

“It’s sad because this is probably the safest place that some of us have ever experienced, and we’re not welcome,” she said. “It’s feeling victimized again, and now it’s feeling homeless again.

“It’s feeling uprooted. No safety, no stability.”

The tenant is one of 20 – including six children – that will have to vacate the premise, after a Manitoba judge issued a cease and desist order earlier this month.

According to court documents, the condo corporation argued Aurora was using the development for business purposes. It said the company went against section 2.3.1 of the Condominium Declaration, which states “Each unit shall be occupied and used only as a private single-family residence and for no other purpose…”

The presiding judge agreed, writing in her endorsement: “In this case I agree with the assertion of the applicant, that the operation of a business, such as the Reunification Village, as a branch of ARC, is inconsistent with and in contravention of the Declaration of this condominium.”

“I guess it is a business,” said Jessica Dos Santos, Reunification Village facility manager and counselor. “I just feel that it’s no different than someone coming on site and offering home care.”

As part of its operations, Aurora offered counselling and support services, as well as financial aid.

“Everybody there is not allowed to do drugs, they’re not allowed to drink,” said Aurora president and CEO Michael Bruneau. “They’re very happy. They’re there with their children.”

But Aurora staff and tenants allege they faced backlash.

“A lot of tenants have experienced people following them, people taking pictures of them, even just as simple as nonverbal communication,” Dos Santos said.

The lawyer representing the condo board declined an interview and said he nor his client would comment on the matter.

Meantime, Bruneau said he hopes to move to a new location and continue operations soon.

“We know we’re not wanted here so we’re gonna move,” he said.

Bruneau could not confirm when or where the facility would move to, however, he said some tenants have already relocated to Aurora’s other reunification property in Brandon, Man.

He also said he plans on using the vacant condos at Castle Gate Estates on Waverley Street to help Winnipeg’s vulnerable population by offering them temporary places to stay during the cold winter months.

“If I can do some good and save some people from freezing to death outside, I’m going to bring them there and warm them up and feed them,” Bruneau said. “So I’m going to do that. Mark my words.”