Mrinali Anchan · CBC News · Posted: Jun 10, 2026 5:00 AM MDT | Retrived from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/bissell-centre-den-of-willows-edmonton-fasd-9.7229297
The Bissell Centre’s Den of Willows building has officially opened to offer tailored support for people in Edmonton living with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD).
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at the facility on Tuesday in the Delton neighbourhood. Some people have already been living there and staff have already been supporting them.
The building offers options for housing that support sobriety as people are transitioning out of precarious living situations.
Den of Willows was named through a ceremony led by Indigenous Sweat Lodge Keeper and Pipe Carrier Orest Zwozdesky, Bissell Centre officials said.
“A lot of people want to take that step to find a way to change their life and to go into recovery,” Chance Goddard, who lives at the facility, said in an interview with CBC News on Monday.
“But you know, you go to treatment, you do all these options, you do this for yourself, but afterwards there’s not as much in place for that network of support.
“It’s beautiful to see [the Bissell Centre] actively trying to create places that provide support for that next step.”
The Bissell Centre said the facility currently houses five people living with FASD who are in recovery from addiction and have histories of chronic homelessness.
The facility has 24/7 on-site staff providing support in life skills development, employment readiness, cultural connection and referrals to health and community services.
Lex Webb is one of those staff members who helps once a week at the facility.
“Getting it up off the ground, we really are working all together to figure out what works for the residents, what daily activity looks like for them, how we can support them, how we do the things that we find make us happy and healthy,” Webb said in an interview.
“The most meaningful part to me has been hearing the residents’ [stories].