PHS board members resign amid financial irregularities
Posted March 19, 2014 10:15 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – The leadership is leaving from a group that runs a number of key services in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, including its supervised injection site.
The PHS Community Services Society had been under pressure by the province following a financial audit.
Well-known Downtown Eastside activist Mark Townsend says he and some others at the Society will be stepping down at the end of the month.
He says government gave him an ultimatum: move aside or risk seeing government contracts cancelled.
“This is one of those choices where there isn’t a choice, because our first concern has to be the residents and the people on the ground that we care about.”
The province had been raising questions about the group’s spending.
Townsend says the focus was on its administration fee, which he says is lower than 10 per cent.
Despite the change, Townsend says the society will carry on.
“It’s very important that people don’t panic. All the services are staying in place. All the staff are staying in place.”
He intends to spend his last days helping the group transition, and has given his endorsement to the new board.
Peter Wrinch of the Pivot Legal Society says it will be a tragedy for the DTES if services are affected by these leadership changes.
“I think that PHS has always been on the cutting edge of progress, they’ve really moved the harm reduction file forward, in this neighbourhood, and in this country.”
Health Minister Terry Lake promises a nice transition.
“The services they provide are critical for a very vulnerable population, services that we have supported as a government and will continue to support.”
City councillor Geoff Meggs expects if the group doesn’t carry on with its traditional advocacy role, other groups will step up.
