10/01/2026
A New Chapter for Pre-Treatment Housing in Edmonton!
On September 30, 2026, Oxford House had the privilege of hosting the official opening of our men’s and women’s Pre-Treatment homes in Edmonton — and what a special day it was!
We were honoured to celebrate alongside:
• Minister Rick Wilson, Recovery Alberta
• Mayor Andrew Knack, The City of Edmonton
• Earl Thiessen, Executive Director, Oxford House
• Alisia Nhoeuk, Director of Operations, Oxford House
• Casandra Desjarlais-Stickel , Oxford House alum, former Pre-Treatment and Post-Treatment resident, and Calgary Pre-Treatment Recovery Coach
These homes represent more than four walls and a roof. They provide a safe, supportive place to stay while people wait to enter treatment, helping bridge the gap between detox and treatment and giving people a stronger opportunity to keep moving forward in recovery.
We are deeply grateful for the funding support from the Government of Alberta, which has helped make these homes possible and expand access to safe, recovery-focused housing for people waiting to begin treatment.
We’re also incredibly grateful to everyone who has helped bring this vision to life — and to the people who continue to believe that safe housing can be a powerful part of recovery. 🏠💙
We invite you to watch the official press conference and celebrate this important milestone with us!
👉 Watch the press conference: https://youtu.be/e99Jv58v_hc?si=KEII72R35U1yA0Os
“We are pleased to host this announcement in our new women’s pre-treatment home in Edmonton and welcome partners who share our commitment in helping Albertans pursue recovery.” – Earl Thiessen, executive director - Oxford House
“Today, Recovery Alberta, is helping with a critical gap – the period between detox and treatment. This can be a very vulnerable time in a person’s recovery journey. Pre-treatment plays a vital role in the continuum of care.” – Minister Rick Wilson, Mental Health and Addiction
“When we talk about addiction and recovery, we are not talking about statistics. We are talking about people. We are talking about mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, aunties and uncles, grandmothers and grandfathers, We are talking about the children who are waiting and hoping for someone they love to come home.” – Alisia Nhoeuk, director of operations – Oxford House.
“When I was stuck in my addiction I was homeless for about eight years. I thought I was completely alone and was going to die on the streets. I met a beautiful nurse who introduced me to Oxford House pre-treatment. I was there for 9 days and then I got to treatment. After treatment I moved into post-treatment housing and after 6 months I had the opportunity to help others as a house lead in pre-treatment. I just started working full time at Oxford House.” – Casandra Desjarlais-Stickel