An artist's rendition of the apartment building Freedom's Door in Kelowna wants to build for men recovering from drug addiction. SUBMITTED/Freedom's Door

Freedom’s Door given freedom to develop Rutland recovery house

KELOWNA – Despite strong local opposition, Kelowna council has endorsed a Rutland building project that would house men recovering from addiction.

Councillors faced a packed house during Tuesday’s, Sept. 19, public hearing on the rezoning amendment necessary to move the 51-unit project forward.

Opponents of the application by Freedom’s Door blasted council for pushing the project and its unwanted tenants on the neighbourhood but the majority remained unmoved by their arguments.

However proponents argued the tenants of the zero-tolerance facilty are not a danger and the facility is much needed in the city.

Freedom’s door is still trying to raise the $3 million needed to build the four-storey building at the corner of McCurdy Road and Rutland Road North on land donated by the Knights of Columbus

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John McDonald

John McDonald

John began life as a journalist through the Other Press, the independent student newspaper for Douglas College in New Westminster. The fluid nature of student journalism meant he was soon running the place, learning on the fly how to publish a newspaper.

It wasn’t until he moved to Kelowna he broke into the mainstream media, working for Okanagan Sunday, then the Kelowna Daily Courier and Okanagan Saturday doing news graphics and page layout. He carried on with the Kelowna Capital News, covering health and education while also working on special projects, including the design and launch of a mass market daily newspaper. After 12 years there, John rejoined the Kelowna Daily Courier as editor of the Westside Weekly, directing news coverage as the Westside became West Kelowna.

But digital media beckoned and John joined Kelowna.com as assistant editor and reporter, riding the start-up as it at first soared then went down in flames. Now John is turning dirt as city hall reporter for iNFOnews.ca where he brings his long experience to bear on the civic issues of the day.

If you have a story you think people should know about, email John at jmcdonald@infonews.ca

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