Nearly three years after his death, Bill Hesketh’s dream of a Vernon-based addiction recovery centre has come to fruition.
The aptly monikered Bill’s Place, on 43rd Avenue, named after the late founder of the North Okanagan John Howard Society, is a 10-bed recovery home and sober living apartment.
The facility was officially opened Wednesday with members of Hesketh’s immediate family doing the honours.
“Bill always felt that part of the problems in Howard House were due to some kind of addiction, and he felt we had to get at the root cause,” said Hesketh’s widow, Pat, accompanied by sons David and Mark, daughter-in-law Eileen Benedet and grandchildren Samantha and Jordan Hesketh.
“He started one of the first programs at Howard House for alcoholics. He was quite dedicated to this.”
Bill’s Place is operated by the John Howard Society of the North Okanagan Kootenay region, and offers a wide variety of recovery services to men 19 years of age and older who are seeking recovery from alcoholism and addiction.
The program is abstinence-based and follows a 12-step model. Participants need to be medically and physically stable as well as willing and motivated to change.
“Bill’s Place is unique in its open-ended programming,” said Brad Hohgton, senior counsellor at Bill’s Place. “There are no concrete start and finish dates, so that the program can be tailored to each individual’s needs.”
The John Howard Society officially launched its capital campaign for Bill’s Place in November 2012 to raise funds to pay the mortgage on the house and property that was turned into the recovery centre.
“This is a really important essential service for our community,” said Vernon Mayor Rob Sawatzky.
Barb Levesque, executive director of the local John Howard Society, said she felt Bill Hesketh’s spirit as the ribbon was officially cut to open the centre.
“I think about him often,” said Levesque. “I think about what he would do and how he would respond to things. I think about his super generosity of spirit he had.”
David Hesketh, Bill’s son, said his dad would have been speechless had he lived to see Bill’s Place open.
“He was at home with all kinds of people and he really had an open heart for those in need, and saw an opportunity to help them,” said David. “To have this carry on after his passing in the way he intended is an incredible honour.”
