An aerial view of Dunsmuir Lodge in 1987. Credit: University of Victoria Archives
The sale of the former Dunsmuir Lodge site has been finalized and it will officially reopen as a private mental health and addiction facility.
Homewood Health confirmed the sale on Thursday. The 28-acre lodge and surrounding property will have a capacity of up to 99 beds.
The facility is set to open in the fall of this year. There will be approximately 80 full-time employees including psychiatrists, addiction physicians, psychologists, nurses, occupational therapists, social workers and recreational therapists.
“The completion of the purchase from the University of Victoria is a major milestone on our way to restoring the building and property as well as bringing new mental health and addiction treatment options to British Columbia,” Jagoda Pike, President and CEO of Homewood Health said in a release.
“It’s been exciting to be part of a transaction that facilitates the purchase of the adjacent 72 acres by the Pauquachin First Nation from the University of Victoria and to develop a plan that positively impacts the community.”
The facility will be run in collaboration with the Pauquachin First Nation and other Saanich First Nations communities, according to Homewood Health. The facility will be renamed to reflect the historical and spiritual significance of the site and mountain it is located on.
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