After all the planning and fundraising for Portage Atlantic’s Lewis Fitness Centre project, construction is now well underway and Portage staff members and youth have been reveling in the anticipation of watching the day-to-day progress of the construction site.
On January 17, Dave Emmerson, Chair of the Lewis Fitness Centre Capital Campaign, met with the centre’s architect, Don Sterritt of Smyth Design Inc., to view the progress of the construction, along with Portage Atlantic Chairman, Russell King and other members of the board. All stakeholders are pleased with how the project is advancing, and are looking forward to opening the fitness centre’s doors to the youth in treatment later this year.
At Portage, residents are encouraged to participate in regular recreation and physical activities, which help them to focus and be more attentive to the therapeutic community and the addiction rehabilitation treatment process. The Lewis Fitness Centre will provide a fresh new environment in which to enjoy these activities and the ability for staff members to enhance the fitness programming available to the residents.
Through Portage’s recreational programming, many of the youth in treatment rediscover activities and sports that they once enjoyed, but had abandoned because of their drug use. Learning to appreciate physical fitness is an important component to building a healthy and positive lifestyle, which graduates can pursue long after completing the residential phase of the drug addiction rehabilitation program.
Photo (left to right): Russell King, Portage Atlantic Chairman, Ron Evans, Board Member, Don Sterritt, Architect, Smyth Design Inc., and Dave Emmerson, Chair of the Lewis Fitness Centre Capital Campaign.
