If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction in Saguenay, Freeport Recovery offers structured, private treatment that you can access quickly — without the lengthy waitlists that define publicly funded programs in Quebec. Our residential facility is located in St. Catharines, Ontario, and is accessible by flight or car for Saguenay residents who are ready to take a meaningful step toward recovery.
We serve individuals from across the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region — including Chicoutimi, Jonquière, La Baie, Alma, and surrounding communities — who need a private, focused environment to begin lasting change. Our admissions team is available in both English and French to ensure the process is as accessible as possible.
Addiction affects communities across Quebec, and Saguenay is no exception. The Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region has faced ongoing challenges with opioid use, alcohol dependency, and stimulant addiction — challenges that mirror broader provincial trends. According to the Institut national de santé publique du Québec (INSPQ), opioid-related hospitalizations and overdose deaths have continued to rise across Quebec in recent years, with regions outside major urban centres often facing significant gaps in specialized treatment capacity.
Alcohol addiction remains one of the most widespread and underreported substance use disorders in the region, while opioid misuse — including fentanyl — has become an increasing concern across Quebec’s non-urban communities.
Quebec’s public addiction treatment system, while well-intentioned, operates under significant strain. CRPAT and CRDS programs in the region often carry substantial wait times, and individuals seeking residential detox or intensive treatment may wait weeks or months for a placement. For someone who has found the courage to ask for help, that delay can be dangerous. Recovery windows are fragile. Private treatment allows you to act on them immediately.
Leaving your home region for treatment is a significant decision — and for many people, it turns out to be the right one.
Distance from triggers. Recovery is harder when you’re surrounded by the same people, environments, and routines that reinforced substance use. Travelling to St. Catharines for residential treatment gives your mind and body the space to reset without daily reminders of your previous patterns.
Privacy and confidentiality. Saguenay is a close-knit community. For many residents — including professionals, tradespeople, parents, and business owners — seeking treatment close to home carries real concerns about privacy. Our facility is far enough away to ensure complete confidentiality.
Immediate access. In most cases, we can admit new clients within a few days of initial contact. You don’t have to wait for a publicly funded bed to become available.
A dedicated therapeutic environment. Our St. Catharines facility offers structured programming, outdoor space, physical fitness, and wellness modalities — a focused recovery environment that’s difficult to replicate in any community setting.
Bilingual support. Our admissions team can assist French-speaking clients throughout the intake process to ensure nothing gets lost in translation.
Our treatment facility is located in St. Catharines, Ontario, approximately 700 km from Saguenay.
By air (recommended): The most practical option for most Saguenay clients. Fly from Aéroport de Saguenay–Bagotville (YBG) to Hamilton/Burlington (YHM) or Toronto Pearson (YYZ). From either airport, our admissions team can assist with ground transportation arrangements to the facility in St. Catharines.
By car: Approximately 7 to 7.5 hours via Highway 175 S to Quebec City, then Highway 20 W toward Montreal, and Highway 40 W into Ontario, connecting to Highway 401 W and the QEW S to St. Catharines.
If you need help coordinating transportation to our facility, our admissions team is available to assist. We want getting to treatment to be the easiest part of this process.
Freeport Recovery offers a full continuum of care designed to meet you where you are — whether you need intensive residential support or flexible virtual treatment.
Our flagship program. You live at our facility full-time and engage in a structured daily schedule of individual therapy, group sessions, wellness activities, and personal development. Residential treatment is the most effective option for moderate to severe substance use disorders, and clients typically stay for 30, 60, or 90 days depending on clinical need.
For Saguenay residents who cannot travel or leave work and family responsibilities, our virtual program delivers evidence-based addiction treatment entirely online. Sessions are structured, confidential, and led by our clinical team. This is a legitimate, evidence-informed path to recovery — not a lesser alternative.
Ongoing one-on-one support with a certified recovery counsellor, designed for individuals in early recovery or those stepping down from residential care. Ideal for maintaining progress and accountability after completing an intensive program.
Recovery doesn’t end at discharge. Our aftercare programming keeps Saguenay-based clients connected to their clinical team and peer community as they reintegrate into daily life back home.
Freeport Recovery provides treatment for a wide range of substance use disorders, including:
Alcohol
Cocaine
Amphetamine
Opioid
Benzodiazepine
Prescription Drug
Cannabis
Many clients arrive with co-occurring concerns — anxiety, depression, trauma, or other mental health challenges alongside their substance use. Our integrated approach addresses both simultaneously.
At Freeport Recovery, we don’t believe in one-size-fits-all treatment. Every client receives a personalized care plan built around their substance use history, mental and physical health, goals, and lifestyle. Our clinical team combines evidence-based therapies with a range of experiential and wellness-based modalities:
Our facility is CARF accredited and LegitScript certified — independent third-party verifications that our programs meet rigorous standards for quality and safety.
We know that the cost of private treatment is often one of the first concerns for Saguenay residents and their families. Freeport Recovery partners with Medicard to offer flexible payment plans, making private care more attainable. Our admissions team will discuss all available options with you transparently and without pressure — because financial concerns should never be the reason someone doesn’t get the help they need.
Yes. We regularly admit clients from across Quebec, including the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region. Our admissions team has experience helping people navigate the logistics of travelling from Quebec for treatment, including flight coordination and communication with families. We also offer support in French during the intake process.
Most clients from Saguenay travel by connecting flight from Bagotville (YBG) to Hamilton (YHM) or Toronto Pearson (YYZ), with total travel times of approximately 3–4 hours. Driving is also possible — approximately 7 hours via Quebec City and the 401 corridor. Our admissions team can help coordinate transportation once you’ve connected with us.
In most cases, we can accommodate new clients within a few days of initial contact. This is a significant advantage over publicly funded programs in Quebec, where wait times for residential addiction treatment can stretch to several weeks or longer. When someone is ready and willing to seek help, we don’t make them wait.
Freeport Recovery is a private treatment facility in Ontario. Quebec’s RAMQ covers publicly funded addiction services but does not cover private out-of-province centres. We offer flexible financing through our partnership with Medicard, which provides structured payment plans to make private treatment more accessible. Our admissions team will walk you through all available financial options before you commit to anything.
Residential treatment means you live at our facility in St. Catharines for the duration of your program — typically 30 to 90 days. It is the most comprehensive level of care and is recommended for moderate to severe substance use disorders, or for individuals who have not achieved long-term success with previous treatment attempts. Virtual treatment is delivered entirely online and suits individuals with work, family, or financial constraints that make travelling from Saguenay difficult. Both programs are clinically structured and led by our treatment team.
Absolutely. Family involvement is an important part of the recovery process. We offer family support, education, and counselling throughout treatment. Families can participate remotely or visit our facility in St. Catharines as appropriate. Our team will provide guidance on how to best support your loved one’s recovery.
Yes, completely. Confidentiality is a cornerstone of our practice and is protected by law. Your treatment at Freeport Recovery will not be disclosed to employers, family members (without your consent), or any other parties. Many clients from Quebec choose private out-of-province treatment specifically because of the distance and privacy it provides.
Recovery is possible, and it begins with one step forward. Start your journey today and let us walk beside you every step of the way.
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