About us

Treatment at Portage is not just about stopping drug abuse.

It’s about gaining the confidence, self-esteem, and the tools to be able to handle the challenges of everyday life without needing drugs.

Home » About us – our organisation

Portage is a Canadian non-profit organisation that helps people suffering from substance abuse-related problems to overcome their dependencies and live healthy, happy, and productive lives.

Since 1970, we helped tens of thousands of people to take back control of their lives with our specialised drug rehabilitation programs for adolescentsadultspregnant women and mothers with children, the aboriginal community, adults with mental health issues, and individuals referred by the justice system.

We provide drug addiction rehabilitation treatment, based on the therapeutic community approach, in our various centres in Quebec,  Ontario and New Brunswick.

When I first walked in, I realized what a community is, because I did not have that before. I had a mentor to guide me around, and eventually, months later, I became that mentor to new residents. It is very empowering to be able to help people that went through what I went thought just months before.

John, Adult program, Lac Eco

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Our Mission

Portage fosters the strengths and skills of substance-dependent persons to enable them, through comprehensive and cost-effective interventions based on the therapeutic community approach, to live lives of sobriety, filled with dignity, self-respect, and accomplishment.

Our values

Portage Foundation

We value freedom

We strongly believe in the capacity of human beings to strive towards freedom of choice, dignity, and autonomy. The pursuit of personal growth is the inevitable result of the mobilisation of the individual’s internal resources fostered by the stimulating and enriching influence of a favourable environment.

Mother and child program at portage

We value security

We believe in being expressly client-centered, emphasizing the security of the client and delivering quality services with financial and management discipline.

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We value respect

We have an unconditional respect for the capacity of individuals to grow and make appropriate choices for themselves.

"I've tried just about everything, and the one thing that changed my outlook on myself [at Portage], was the ability to take care of how I feel."

- Paul

"Portage for me represents freedom. I'm no longer a slave to all those things I put myself through."

–Chantal

Statement on Diversity and Inclusion

Portage offers equal services to all.  Women, visible and ethnic minorities, Indigenous peoples and members of the LGBTQ+ community are welcome in all our centres. We are committed to continually embrace diversity and make it a source of enrichment and pride for our organism.

The use of the male pronoun on this website has been adopted for ease of reading, and is in no way to be considered discriminatory.