Tales of Lonewater Farm: New Brunswick's Home for Alcoholics

Richard Wilbur is the author of The Rise of French New Brunswick and the
co-author of Silver Harvest: The Fundy Weirmen’s Story.

In this book, Major Edis Flewwelling, a veteran of the Second World War,
describes his unique approach to the treatment of male alcoholics:
putting them on a farm and having them undertake meaningful and
satisfying physical work.

The first six chapters describe how the author scrounged and bargained
to establish a treatment centre on the Nerepis River, not far from Saint
John. He had many contacts in the city, including the director of the
Alcoholic Ward at the Provincial Hospital, who realized that there were
more male alcoholics on the street than his ward could handle. In the
fall of 1967, this director and a medical colleague approached the
Liberal government of Louis Robichaud, which agreed to help buy
Lonewater Farm. A board was incorporated, and Flewwelling was selected
to be the manager. He held the job for the next 18 years, even while
serving as mayor of Saint John from 1974 to 1977.

When the Conservative government of Richard Hatfield incorporated
Lonewater Farm into the Department of Health, the original board of
directors was replaced with what were clearly patronage appointments.
Henceforth Flewwelling (a staunch Liberal) battled what he termed
enemies in high places. Instead of naming them, he uses terms like SCS
(Senior Civil Servant) and the Preacher (a programmer who gave the 50
men daily lectures). The latter accused the Major of misappropriating
funds; after a well-publicized trial, Flewwelling was found not guilty.

There are two sides to every story. However, the fact remains that the
political appointees who earned Flewwelling’s contempt are easily
identifiable and could have sued him but chose not to. Lonewater Farm is
still listed in the Saint John directory, a fact that would appear to
indicate that the Major’s approach to the treatment of alcoholism was
sound.