The PEP Society is hosting a free community event in Red Deer on April 23, 2026, to discuss the province’s new approach to addiction recovery and how it affects local families.
The event, titled Not in My Community – Recovery Needs a Community Strategy, will take place at Crossroads Church. Doors are set to open at 6:30 p.m. As space is limited, residents are required to register in advance through Eventbrite.
The discussion will center on the Compassionate Intervention Act, which allows family members, healthcare professionals, and police to petition courts to have individuals with severe addiction forced into treatment. Passed in May 2025, the law makes Alberta the first province in Canada to adopt this type of legislation.
The evening will feature insights from three medical experts: Dr. Rob Tanguay, an addiction psychiatrist and the Senior Medical Lead for the compassionate intervention division of Recovery Alberta; Dr. Ray Baker, a specialist in addiction medicine; and Dr. Michael Mulholland, a physician with connections to local medical support services. They will review the legislation and explore strategies to support families navigating the recovery process.
The PEP Society, a non-profit founded in 2004 to provide free support for families affected by addiction, expanded its operations to Red Deer in April 2025 with funding from the Alberta Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions. This community meeting comes as Red Deer continues to manage the effects of the local opioid crisis, which saw 27 deaths in the city in 2025.
