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An addictions recovery centre proposed for Ottawa in the wake of the death of actor Matthew Perry is still going forward, but will not bear the Hollywood star’s name.
It comes after Matthew Perry House made the “very difficult decision” to step away from the project, founder and executive director Caitlin Morrison said on Wednesday.
Launched in Perry’s memory after the Ottawa-raised actor died in 2023 from a ketamine overdose, Matthew Perry House — formerly known as the Matthew Perry Foundation of Canada — simply couldn’t “commit 100 per cent of [its] time and resources” to bringing the facility on the grounds of The Royal to fruition, Morrison said.
“It’s difficult on a personal level. But on the other hand, I know that the decision we made is something that he would have believed in doing, too,” said Morrison, who is also Perry’s sister.
“His heart was in helping people when they reached out, and helping as many of them as he could. And I know he wouldn’t want us to have to turn people down.”
Perry, who was perhaps best known for his role as Chandler Bing on the sitcom Friends, was found dead in his Los Angeles hot tub in October 2023.
His death was deemed to be accidental, caused by the effects of the drug ketamine.
The 54-year-old had reportedly been undergoing ketamine infusion therapy to deal with depression and anxiety.
While he’d struggled with drug addiction in the past, he was “reportedly clean for 19 months” at the time of his death, according to a medical examiner’s report.
The facility is still slated to be built on the grounds of The Royal, Ottawa’s mental health centre. (Patrick Louiseize/CBC)
Split was amicable
The foundation’s plans for the facility included housing, on-site care and a “comprehensive range of support services” for roughly 160 people going through the recovery process.
The decision to part ways was made “amicably,” according to a joint statement issued by Matthew Perry House, The Royal and several of the project’s other partners.
“The project team is united in its commitment to delivering much-needed supportive housing, centered on wellness and recovery. Planning and design activities continue to progress as expected, including the land-lease process and upcoming procurement milestones,” the statement said.
“As part of this transition, the project will move forward under a new name.”
The Royal declined an interview, but spokesperson Alyssa Nader confirmed by email that the centre was still going ahead and remains focused on offering “stable housing with connections to wellness and substance use health supports.”
“The project is currently in the planning phase and is actively following a standard process to guide careful and thoughtful development,” Nader wrote.
Construction had been set to begin this spring if the approval process went according to plan.
As for Matthew Perry House, Morrison said the foundation and its “incredibly small” team would keep doing other addictions services work, including assisting treatment centres and supportive housing facilities so that they can offer a “higher standard of care.”
“We want to be able to help as many people as we possibly can,” Morrison said. “And so we just couldn’t say that we could dedicate 100 per cent of our time [to the Ottawa facility].”
