Photo: Contributed

The Crossing in Keremeos has closed

A Keremeos facility that has helped hundreds of young people overcome their demons has closed.

The Crossing, operated by the nonprofit organization Portage, officially shut down on March 5.

"The budget required to run the centre was delayed and not forthcoming," said Seychelle Harding, the director of communications for Portage. "And we felt we couldn't maintain the place with that uncertainty."

Portage helps people suffering from substance abuse-related problems to overcome their dependencies and live healthy, happy and productive lives. It provides drug addiction rehabilitation treatment centres in Atlantic Canada, Quebec and Ontario.

The Crossing was the only centre in B.C.

It opened in Keremeos in 2009 and treated hundreds of adolescent boys and girls between the ages of 15 to 18, from all over the province.

When operating at full capacity, it had over 30 staff ranging from social workers to care counsellors.

Harding said it was difficult to close the beautiful site that had a real attraction to a lot of people.

"We treated hundreds of young people and watched most of them go from being in a state of real misery and despair to accomplishing things in their lives and finding jobs," she said. "We are dissapointed to not be able to be in the position to help out these people."

She added that there is a big appetite in B.C. for such treatment and other groups will now have to take up the mission.