Randene Wejr, CEO of Turning Points Collaborative Society, and Claire Finch, Chair of the Foord Family Foundation, standing beside a concept design for the Bill's Place expansion (Image Credit: Liam Verster/Vernon Matters)

By Liam Verster

Bill's Place Expansion

Major contribution supporting expansion of addiction recovery centre

Aug 25, 2026 | 1:41 PM

A community organization has pledged to support the expansion of alcohol and narcotic recovery in Vernon.

Operated by Turning Points Collaborative Society, Bill’s Place is a 27-bed residential recovery facility, and plans have been launched to build a new three-storey 13,500 square foot facility on site. The new build would add another 36 treatment beds to Bill’s Place, increasing the capacity by 133 per cent.

In support of the expansion and the work done by the non-profit, the Foord Family Foundation pledged $2.5-million toward the expansion of Bill’s Place.

“[The work by Bill’s Place] is local, practical, and meets people at a moment when timely support can change the direction of their lives,” Claire Finch, Chair of the Foord Family Foundation, said in announcing the gift on Tuesday.

“Addiction and recovery affect individuals, families, workplaces, and the broader community. When someone is ready to begin their journey of recovery, having a safe and supportive place available close to home matters deeply.

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“Supporting this expansion is about helping more people access care, structure, civility and encouragement when they need it most. This expansion will help Bill’s Place serve more people and reduce the time people spend waiting for recovery support, which is paramount. This expansion is not only about increasing capacity, but it’s about creating a place where people feel respected, supported and able to make important steps towards their healing journey.”

The contribution kicked off a fundraiser for the expansion project, which was estimated to cost a total of $6.4-million.

“This is truly a transformational contribution, it brings us significantly closer to creating a place where people struggling with substance use can access treatment, they can find stability, and the opportunity to rebuild their lives,” Randene Wejr, CEO of Turning Points, stated.

“There are moments in a life of an organization when a gift is much more than a financial contribution, this is one of those moments. It is a statement of belief, a belief in the project, a belief in the people doing it, and a belief in the people that are changing their story, their lives, by walking through these doors.”

In addition to increasing the number of people who can access treatment, this project would significantly reduce wait times for admissions to about a month.

“Our challenge today is [accessibility], of the 560 applications to come into Bill’s Place, 443 of them never made it through our front doors.” Brad Houghton, Executive Director of Addiction Services and Founder of Bill’s Place, said.

“Our wait list median is 152 days, this isn’t good enough. People struggling who say they need help and send in a referral form often have to wait five or six months to get a bed here. Every month we’ve got between 30 and 50 people on our wait list.”

The new facility would be built on the back lawn of the lot that Bill’s Place currently sits, but would still maintain some grass and garden areas for residents. It will also include gathering and learning spaces, a commercial kitchen, a rooftop patio, and accommodation for visiting family members.

People looking to support the expansion of Bill’s Place can make a contribution online here.

Turning Points stated the project was ready to move forward pending funding, as land ownership, zoning and permits, building designs and ongoing program funding was already in place, with plans to have shovels in the ground and construction underway in the coming fall.

by Liam Verster

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