Campus Sale: Meet Our New Collaborators
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From our ED, Shane Walders, to the Haven Community:
During our New Year’s program, participants were invited to choose a word for the year ahead. The word that emerged, collectively and with intention, was Transforming.
What we are moving through now is part of that process. Transformation often touches places we love, memories we hold dear, and ways of being that feel familiar and grounding. At the same time, transformation can be how continuity is protected and core values are preserved when circumstances change.
Our Gabriola facility has been sold to The Healing Institute, an organization dedicated to recovery from substance use, trauma and long-term healing. The Healing Institute will operate a 50-day program on the property, offering trauma-informed, holistic care for people struggling with substance use designed to support deep restoration.
The Haven will continue operating our own programs on site, including leader-owned programs, in addition to wellness-focused retreats, conferences, and events. These offerings will run alongside The Healing Institute’s work. Rather than diminishing what happens here, we see this as an opportunity to grow this property into a more expansive home for connection, within ourselves, with one another, and with the land we share.
As part of this transition, significant infrastructure and facility improvements are already underway. Policies governing safety, appropriate conduct, and shared use of the site remain in place and will continue to guide how all programs operate within the space.
To introduce himself directly, Dr. Carson McPherson Phd, founder of The Healing Institute, has shared a message below. In the coming weeks, we will provide further detail on operational changes, property updates, and what to expect when on-site as a guest, participant, or facilitator.
Kindly,
Shane Walders
Executive Director, Haven Foundation
From Dr Carson McPherson, Founder & CEO of The Healing Institute:
My name is Dr. Carson McPherson, Founder and CEO of The Healing Institute. I wanted to reach out personally to the Haven community as we begin this next chapter together.
While The Healing Institute has acquired the property, we see ourselves first and foremost as stewards of the land and neighbours to the Haven Foundation. We are deeply grateful that this transition allows the Foundation to remain here, continue its work, and ensure that the Haven endures, in spirit, purpose, and name, for generations to come.
I know news like this can stir a mix of emotions. The Haven is not just a place; it has held deep meaning for many people at pivotal moments in their lives. That responsibility is something we take very seriously. I grew up in a small farming community where stewardship and looking out for one another were lived values, not abstract ideas. Today, my family and I call Nanaimo home, which makes helping to care for a place like the Haven especially meaningful.
My professional life has been devoted to wellness and recovery. When the opportunity to secure the Haven arose, it felt aligned, not just strategically but personally, and we are genuinely grateful to help safeguard this rare and special place.
We do not see ourselves as outsiders coming in, but as neighbours committed to listening, respecting what already works, and moving thoughtfully. There will be time for conversation and questions ahead. For now, I simply wanted to introduce myself and express how honoured we are to be here.
Thank you for all you have poured into making the Haven what it is. We hold this place with deep respect and real optimism for what comes next.
With gratitude,
Dr. Carson McPherson, Phd
Founder & CEO of The Healing Institute
