Cathy Dobson/The Independent

A beloved historic building in Sarnia’s south end is slowly transitioning from a vacated high school into a sober haven for people displaced by life’s challenges.

The latest tenant to lease a portion of the 104-year-old former SCITS building is The Anchor, a non-profit that offers 20 bedrooms and living facilities for people in transition, says CEO Barry Bentley.

While he sees “a lot of back and forth and no real action” from the city’s  politicians about how to handle the crisis on the streets, The Anchor is a proactive move to give the homeless a place to stabilize for up to 18 months, said Bentley.

It opened a few weeks ago on the east side of the former SCITS’ third floor at 275 Wellington Street.  One tenant has already moved in.  

He’s a good example of the type of people The Anchor can help, said board member John Musgrave. The tenant spoke by video at a press conference Friday and described how he was living in his car while recovering from double bypass surgery.  He’d lost his job and the roof over his head before being accepted into The Anchor, he said, adding  he was met with kindness and feels hopeful for the first time.

Potential tenants apply and are assessed through an interview process, said Bentley. All who are accepted are required to sign a contract indicating they will abide by The Anchor’s substance-free policy, an 11 p.m. curfew and other rules around respect.

They also must prove that they are rebuilding their lives, finding work, or waiting for a new phase to start such as securing a spot in a senior’s home. 

Potential candidates could be older adults waiting for placements, newcomers to Sarnia-Lambton, people transitioning to new homes, or in need of affordable, secure temporary housing.

Anyone seeking “quiet stability” after rehab from substance abuse could also apply, said Bentley, who is a former police officer and president of Hughes Intelligence, a security company with offices at 275 Wellington St.

Living at The Anchor is not free. Monthly rent with a meal a day starts at $1,275. Three meals a day costs $1,600. 

It’s not for everyone, Bentley stressed.  “You need to show us you are mobile and can afford it.  We offer ‘light support’ and on-site programming like life-skills training.”

He took reporters and a handful of Sarnia police officers on a tour of the third floor where former classrooms have been converted to lounges, private, furnished bedrooms and community spaces.

It’s possible that another 20 beds or more will be added on the west side if there’s demand.

The Anchor is the second major residential use for the massive, 200,000 square foot building. 

Just six months ago, a 30-bed transitional facility for people in recovery from drugs and alcohol opened on the second floor.  It’s know as the HART Hub and is in no way affiliated with The Anchor.

The HART Hub is operated through Bluewater Health addiction services and is available strictly to people who finish detox at the hospital and the 30-day rehab at Ryan’s House on Exmouth Street. 

Bentley said its possible The Anchor could accept applications from people leaving the HART Hub.

“(The Anchor) could be the next step to finding stability,” he said.

After SCITS closed in 2018 and was put up for sale, Toronto-based company GTA Lands Group purchased it and attempted redevelopment as a private school, a residence and a daycare.  None of those projects got off the ground but GTA partner Mohit Gupta said the list of tenants is finally growing.  

There’s some hope the shuttered auditorium and cafeteria kitchen will be renovated and back in use, he said. 

For the many thousands of Sarnians who graduated from SCITS and were sorry to see the building close, The Anchor signals a new chapter, said board member Musgrave.

“This building will once again do exactly as its done for generations,” he said.  “(It will) prepare people for their future.”