Richard Halverson found his freedom from addiction through Adult & Teen Challenge and, six years later, he hopes a new Winnipeg location will bring hope to the city.
Dozens gathered Saturday morning to mark the grand opening of the recovery centre’s community services office on Main Street.
Located inside the former Wojcik funeral home, the bright-white building — which was also formerly a liquor store — will serve as an access point for people fighting drug addiction. That includes connecting them to addictions support, housing and training.
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Daniel Emond, president and CEO of Adult & Teen Challenge of Central Canada, cuts a ribbon to open the organization’s new community services office at 1020 Main St. in Winnipeg.
“For me, I always start with: ‘What’s your story?’” said Halverson, who now works for the faith-based organization.
He struggled with addiction for much of his life before entering the Adult & Teen Challenge in-residence program where he met others going through the same difficulties. Now he wants to give back.
“Sometimes just being an ear. Taking that time to meet with someone, and that’s exactly what I’m doing today. Stepping not just out in our parking lot, but out into the street, saying: ‘Hey do you have a minute? What’s your story?’”
One of those people was Michael ‘Chad’ Wagner, who attended the event and is considering getting help with his fentanyl addiction. He said many people don’t grasp how difficult it can be to overcome.
“It takes a lot of death, a lot of hurt and a lot of pain, to understand,” Wagner said, adding he was optimistic learning about the organization Saturday.
“People need to know there is actually hope and it’s not just another bunk program,” he said.
Wagner said Winnipeg needs more services to help people get sober. He is in need of wraparound supports, from access to housing to post-program life.
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Michael ‘Chad’ Wagner, who struggles with a fentanyl addiction, said he thinks Winnipeg needs more services to help people with addictions.
“(If) you end up on this stuff, you’re sick without it. It’s not just something you can walk away from. You’re physically sick,” Wagner said.
Adult & Teen Challenge of Central Canada offers three live-in, holistic rehabilitation programs in Manitoba with locations for men in Winnipeg and Steinbach and a women’s location in Brandon. It also has a facility for men in Denare Beach, Sask., and another for women in Thunder Bay, Ont.
The organization is also in the middle of another major project at 83 Kate St., where it is constructing a $25-million, 100-bed “life transformation centre” that will house detox beds, long-term beds and apartment suites. Construction is expected to be complete within 18 months.
Adult & Teen Challenge logged 6,500 calls for service and helped 156 people out of of homelessness in 2025 between Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Ontario offices.
Halverson said the new Winnipeg office, located in the “heart of the city,” is essential in order to assess people for treatment.
“There is hope,” he said.
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Daniel Emond, the organization’s president and CEO, was also part of Saturday’s ribbon cutting. Emond, who struggled with drug addiction in decades past, wants the facility to be the first point of contact for people in need.
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Richard Halverson, who works out of the organization’s Steinbach office, says lending an ear to struggling people is a start.
“We know firsthand there’s people dying every day on the streets,” he said. “You can just drive up and down Main Street and see people keeled over, hopeless — high on drugs — and this is a big step forward for our city.”
He said while funding for the new office came from private donations, he’s been working with the province to secure public funding for its programs, something he said should be a “no-brainer” for government.
“Year, after year, after year, after year, we have proven results,” he said.
morgan.modjeski@freepress.mb.ca
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