A treatment facility for emergency responders is expected to open near Ashcroft this summer.

The centre called Honour Ranch will have 20 cottages on 120 acres just off Highway 97C, about 12 kilometres south of Ashcroft, which is planned to be opened by the Honour House Society.

President Al De Genova says the society already offers treatment for people in the Kamloops area who right now have to travel to the Lower Mainland for their services.

“We look after hundreds and hundreds of first responders and Canadian Forces personnel from the (Thompson-Nicola Regional District) who stay at Honour House while they’re getting treatment in the Greater Vancouver area. This ranch will give them the treatment they need.”

De Genova says those spaces will be free for current and retired uniform personnel and their families to stay as long as they need. He says the the society needs to finish getting approvals from the Agricultural Land Commission and permits from the regional district before fully opening.

“We’re probably about 90 per cent done, the other 10 cottages can come together very quickly if need to be. We already have 10 and the main lodge, it’s a bit of clean up and retrofitting,” De Genova says.

“We don’t want to run it until we’re fully done, and we want to do it right. Some of the things were built but they weren’t properly done through the Agricultural Land Commission and or the TNRD hadn’t approved a lot of the permits. So we’re just wanting to do it right, do it right the first time. Because we’re going to be here for a long, long time looking after our men and women.”