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Review Vol.17
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Number 11
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Thursday, March 12, 2015
Serving the communities of Keremeos, Cawston, Okanagan Falls and Kaleden
Rehab centre for teens closes doors Tara Bowie Review Staff
A local addiction rehabilitation youth facility wasn’t able to recover a financial agreement with the BC government and shut its doors suddenly last week. A mix of about 30 full-time, part-time and seasonal employees of The Crossing operated by Portage British Columbia were told March 5 the facility would cease operations immediately, Seychelle Harding, communications director for Portage said during a phone interview with the Keremeos Review. The Crossing provided a residential rehabilitation treatment program for adolescents between the ages of 14-18. The centre had a 42-bed capacity. “We met the employees there to tell them the news. Most of them were not surprised and the reason behind the decision is that...Portage has been trying for about two years to get to an agreement with the provincial health authorities and we just couldn’t get to an agreement,” she said. Harding said employees were
offered other employment opportunities in Portage facilities out of province mainly in Ontario. Portage operates 12 other programs in Atlantic Canada, Quebec and Ontario. Keremeos was Portage’s only facility in B.C. Some took new postings while others have declined, she said. “We understand BC is very beautiful and these people have set up their lives there,” she said. The facility had not taken any new clients since October 2014. Harding was unsure whether there was still one client at the facility or if it all had finished treatment when the announcement was made. “I’m not sure if there was one person left or no one left because it’s four to six month programs. By the time it had closed most had finished,” she said. The facility opened in 2009 on a 58-acre property located approximately six kilometres west of the Keremeos. According to a notice put on the facility’s webpage a year after it opened Vancouver Coastal Health and Fraser Health were contributing $2.5 million annually to cover
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About 30 full-time, part-time and seasonal local jobs have been lost with the announcement that The Crossing, operated by Portage British Columbia is closed. The Crossing was a residential rehabilitation program for adolescents between the ages of 14 and 18.
operating costs of the drug rehabilitation centre in March 2010. Central City Foundation led the capital fundraising campaign, raising $6.5 million for the purchase of the property and the construction of the facility in Keremeos. It’s unknown what will happen
to the facility at this time. During its six years of operations more than 400 youth successfully completed the six-month addictions recovery programming. “There was a lot of people. A lot of great stories. Teenagers would write back when they finished their
degree and went back to school. It is with heavy heart we are doing this as we know that the resources are scarce in BC,” she said. Harding said Portage can accept out of province clients so youth who are struggling can find more information at www.portage.ca.
Arctic Apple company sells for $41 million Steve Kidd Black Press
Summerland’s Okanagan Specialty Fruits has been drawing international attention over the last few years for its development of an apple that doesn’t turn brown after slicing. They’ve also drawn the attention of a major player. At the end of February, Neal Carter, founder of OSF, announced the company had been sold for $41 million to Intrexon, a U.S. company that styles itself as a leader in synthetic biology. “We feel this acquisition can be viewed as a very positive development for the local community,” wrote Carter in an email interview. “Okanagan Specialty Fruits will remain based in Summerland. We are pleased to share that Intrexon intends to retain all cur-
rent staff.” Through the acquisition, Intrexon expands its food programs to include trees yielding fruit that is more appetizing and convenient for consumers while providing economic benefit throughout the tree fruit supply chain. Carter, who will also remain with OSF after the acquisition is complete, developed his line of Arctic Apple varieties using genetic techniques to switch off the gene that controls the enzyme that turns the white flesh of apples brown after exposure to air. “We have certainly received a great deal of interest from a variety of sources, and as expected, the foodservice industry is among those who recognize the value of the nonbrowning trait,” wrote Carter noting that currently, fresh cut apples must be treated
with anti-browning solutions, adding cost and interfering with flavour. “The potential is huge in areas like cafeterias, for example. In fact, a recent study from Cornell found that schoolchildren eat about 70 per cent more apples if they’re served presliced rather than whole.” Arctic Apples recently gained regulatory approval in the U.S., and are well on their way through the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s process. The company expects Canadian regulators to grant commercial approval to Arctic apples in the near future. Carter said it is unfortunate that the BC Fruit Growers Association has taken a stand against biotechnology. “Even if they are not interested in supporting Arctic apples, many others are; we have
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Summerland’s Okanagan Specialty Fruits, creators of the Arctic Apple, has been sold to US company Intrexon for $41 million. Continued on page 7
received significant interest in Arctic apples from a substantial number of growers and other members of the apple supply-chain,”
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