Anchor Inn was established in 2002.
In 1994 Chuck Lowery married Arlene (Dobson) and joined her in her practice as a self-employed professional counsellor.

 

Arlene's first vocation was nursing, having received a B.Sc.N. after completing a 3 year nursing program (R.N.). She first worked as a Public Health Nurse for the City of Regina Public Health Department and for a time as a Rural Public Health Nurse.  She was one of the first nursing instructors when Wascana Institute for Applied Arts & Sciences (W.I.A.S.T.) opened and it is, now known as S.I.A.S.T.

Chuck received an undergraduate degree: B.A. (Adv. Psychology) 1994, from University of Regina and a Master of Arts degree in counselling in 2000.   His first vocation was as a Communicator and radio announcer, having worked for several prominent radio stations in eastern Canada and within Saskatchewan.

Arlene has been doing professional counselling and disability case management since 1989, working for a variety of Service Providers: servicing their clients through their Employee Assistance Programs and those Insurers who have clients on disability.

 

In 2000 Arlene and Chuck graduated with their Master of Arts degrees in professional counselling.

Both were very interested in assisting Aboriginal and First Nations ‘at risk’ young adults and their families.  Arlene had started The Anchorage Counselling & Rehabilitation Centre as a ‘for profit’ business in 1992 but in 1998 incorporated it as a ‘non-profit’ organization to attract funding dollars, from civic, provincial and federal organizations.

 

The first rehabilitation program was entitled "A Focus on the Future-Guiding the Young". This 'holistic' program was open to all ethnic backgrounds and operated from 1998 to 1999, being by the Saskatchewan Government and Human Resources Government of Canada.

The next program was funded by the Government of Canada from 2000 to 2001, entitled, “ Healing the Nation-One Family At A Time". The third running of this program (2001 to 2002) was under the Urban Multipurpose Aboriginal Youth Centre (UMAYC) funded by the Aboriginal Healing Foundation. All these programs were a great success.

 

From 1998 to 2002 Arlene and Chuck were employed with The Anchorage and served in various capacities in its’ infancy, to establish it.   

 

The Lowery's began a new venture in 2002 with the 'for-profit' organization and called it