Portage Celebrates 50 Years of Helping PeopleOvercome Their Dependencies

MONTRÉAL, Feb. 14, 2023 /CNW Telbec/ - Portage is very proud to be celebrating its 50th anniversary today. The first Portage residential rehabilitation centre opened its doors in Prévost, on the shores of Lake Écho, in the Laurentians, on February 14, 1973. Portage now operates 13 centres dedicated to helping people with dependencies in Québec, Ontario and New-Brunswick.

ʺSince it's founding, Portage has helped more than 40,000 people take back control of their lives. I am very proud of this social contribution and offer my sincere thanks to our faithful team, our donors, and everyone who has, from near or far, made this possible. With pride in its history and an eye to the future, Portage is and always will be there for those who need help overcoming a dependencyʺ, states Peter A. Howlett, President of Portage. ʺThis anniversary has great sentimental meaning for me because it is also an opportunity for me to honour the memory of my mother, Alphonsine Howlett, a tireless community worker, who helped launch this great project. ʺ  

At the forefront of dependency treatment for 50 years

Today, Portage remains an innovator in the field of dependency treatment. In addition to organizing a scientific symposium aired in more than 10 countries last September, Portage is launching its first mobile application to support people who are completing their rehabilitation program. This new application symbolizes the modernization of the organization's service offering and is based on its best practices in terms of support and social reintegration.

Through the years, Portage has pioneered many unique rehabilitation programs tailored to various clienteles, including youth, adults, pregnant women, women with young children, and adults with mental health disorders. Based on the therapeutic community approach, Portage programs foster the strengths and skills of individuals to help them live lives of sobriety, filled with dignity, self-respect and achievement.    

As part of its 50th anniversary, Portage has launched the Addiction Traps national awareness campaign which highlights how quickly addiction can lead to isolation and features a youth who is trapped by his dependencies and unable to escape the vicious cycle of addiction.  

To view the Addiction Traps campaign: https://portage.ca/en/addiction-traps/

About Portage

For 50 years, Portage has helped thousands of people with substance abuse problems overcome their addiction. The organization provides a range of services tailored to the needs of adults, youth, mothers with young children, pregnant women, men and women with both mental health and substance use problems, members of First Nations and Inuit communities, as well as individuals referred by the justice system. Portage offers free treatment programs that are recognized and certified by Accreditation Canada.

Portage operates several drug rehabilitation centres in Québec: in Montréal, Prévost (Laurentians), Québec City and Saint-Malachie (Chaudière-Appalaches). Two other centres cater to residents of Ontario and Atlantic Canada. For more information, please visit our website at www.portage.ca

SOURCE Portage

Claudia Ntihinyuka, TACT, Telephone: [phone], Email: [email protected]; Source: Seychelle Harding, Portage, Telephone: [phone], extension 1118, Email: [email protected]