ESTEVAN — The Envision Counselling and Support Centre will soon be in a new home in Estevan that will allow it to better meet needs in the city.
The agency has purchased the former home of the Estevan Mercury newspaper at 68 Souris Avenue North and is expected to move there at the end of September. An open house and garage sale will happen Aug. 23 at 10 a.m. at Envision's new home. Coffee, tea and muffins will be served.
Envision executive director Lynda Rideout said most of the work has been completed to get their new home ready for the move, but some tasks remain. The furnaces and air conditioners need to be replaced before Envision moves in, and the organization still has to pack up its belongings from its current home in the 1300-block of Seventh Street.
Rideout stressed the move is needed.
“Some of our employees are sharing offices in our current location. Not our counsellors, of course, but it’s hard to really focus and do the work you need to do when you’re in a shared space. We needed more offices for our staff, and it allowed us the opportunity to have a meeting room within our own space. We’ve been looking for external meeting rooms for the past few years since COVID,” said Rideout.
Envision currently has 14 office staff and eight to 10 family support workers. The agency provides counselling for individuals, families and couples, and support for families with young children to learn coping skills, appropriate discipline, budgeting and other skill-building needs.
“We also do some counselling for children through our rapid-access counselling children and their caregivers program,” said Rideout.
Once the organization is settled, Rideout said it might be able to offer some of its parenting or support groups out of the space.
“We’ll have to see how it all evolves. At this time, we’ve been doing those kinds of groups outside in different community spaces, but we’re hoping to be able to bring those home,” she said.
Rideout said Envision was looking for a building close to central Estevan, and the stand-alone location will be beneficial. There’s more parking, and it will be more private for clients than the current location in a busy area.
She thanked businesses in Estevan that have offered support with work needed on the building and property.
“Typically what we’re finding so far is if we’re asking for things, people are really open to helping us in whatever capacity they’re able to,” said Rideout.
