Many Rivers counselling back in compliance, Yukon government funding may follow

The Many Rivers Counselling and Support Services' board had good news for its members at last week's annual general meeting. The group announced it was back in compliance with the Societies Act, and had the certificate from the Registrar of Societies to prove it.

The atmosphere at the June 20 meeting was relaxed and supportive. The opposite of the tense April meeting when a former board member stormed out. Throughout the evening, the board emphasized solidarity and transparency.

"If you're in this kind of business, how can you justify treating people badly when your whole mission is mental wellness? So from our point of view we have to treat each other the same way we would treat a client," said Dena Zavier, who became the new president of the Many Rivers' board after the April meeting.

Many Rivers provides free counselling in Whitehorse, Haines Junction, Watson Lake and Dawson City. It shut down in early November due to a strike and then reopened briefly in February before staff were laid off. It's been closed since.

Back in compliance

Earlier this year, the Registrar of Societies Fred Pretorius found Many Rivers violated its own bylaws by rejecting membership applicants. During the investigation into the membership complaints, the society missed out on a payment of about $500,000 from the Yukon government, when funding was cut for not being in compliance with filing requirements. The Yukon Employees' Union says this led to the layoffs.

Although the society is back in compliance with the act, it came withconditions from the Registrar of Societies. Members had to approve financial statements at the meeting, which they did, and an audit must be completed by the end of September.

The board says its auditor has refused to examine the accounts until the Yukon Government's investigative audit of Many Rivers' books is done. Plus, it says it has no money to pay for an audit right now.

The organization could learn this week if it will get funding again from the Yukon Government.

The Yukon Government hired Crowe and McKay for the investigative audit. That process started earlier this month and is expected to run into July.

"You will also see the society is in a significant debt situation as a result of the actions of the previous board's and executive director's actions and inactions," wrote treasurer Christine Bedford in the annual report.

Bedford says the accounts payable are more than $136,000 dollars and growing every day.

"That's telephone bills, lawyers bills, everything that's accumulated while they were on strike and bills had not been paid," said Bedford.

Now Bedford says she's busy tackling the finances and getting them under control.

That means ending phone contracts, car leases and returning furniture.

Regional offices closing

It also means closing its regional offices in Watson Lake, Haines Junction and Dawson City.

But Zavier says that may not be forever.

"Once we have a core funding established, there's nothing to stop us from looking at other avenues, other funding agencies to fill in some of the slack," she said.

Zavier says the group is hoping to hear this week if it is the successful applicant for a government contract to provide outpatient counselling services in Whitehorse.

If it's successful, Many Rivers would be another step closer to providing free counselling again.