Many Rivers Society replaces board, says it's ready to restart counselling services

The Many Rivers Counselling and Support Services Society says it is ready to re-open its doors if it receives three months of funding from the Yukon government.

Marina Bailey, the society's executive director, says it is now in compliance with Yukon's Societies Act after holding its annual general meeting Friday evening in Whitehorse and getting its membership in order.

Those issues halted funding in February, which led to layoffs and suspended counselling services.

Many Rivers offers free counselling to all Yukoners and has offices in Whitehorse, Dawson City, Haines Junction and Watson Lake.

The February layoffs were not the first service disruption for the society. Layoff notices came just days after workers returned to work after an 11-week strike.

Bailey was to meet on Monday with Health and Social Services to discuss funding. But she saidshe was still unsure when counselling services could be running again.

In the Yukon Legislature on Monday, Social Services Minister Pauline Frost suggested it could still be some time.

"As of today, they are still not in compliance," she said.

Many Rivers is expected to file its outstanding annual report and financial statement to the territory's Registrar of Societies.

And Frost also said the government has hired an external investigator to do a financial audit, "as a result of considerable financial information that the society has been unable to provide."

She said the government wants Yukoners to have access to mental health support services, but said Many Rivers is not the only place.

"There are other organizations that are interested in providing counselling supports and services in the territory. And we are looking at options," Frost said.

Emotional AGM

About 100 people gathered in Whitehorse on Friday evening for the annual general meeting, which got off to a rocky start.

Friday's meeting was actually the 2017-2018 annual general meeting, after two scheduled meetings in 2018 were not completed. One meeting was cancelled and the other was nullified after members were barred and the RCMPwas called.

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Marian Horne, the meeting's chair and second vice president of Many Rivers began saying she was sorry services were not currently being offered. She also explained that complaints made to the Yukon's registrar of societies was why the counselling stopped.

After several tense moments of back and forth between Horne and members, other members urged the board to get on with the meeting and to follow the agenda.

"I'm very nervous.I did not want to come here tonight," Horne said.

Emotions in the room reached their peak when halfway through the meeting, Horne packed up her papers and binders and left.

Bailey took over as chair and the meeting became more relaxed. It was adjourned after 12 new board members were acclaimed. Dena Zavier was selected as the board's new president.

Ready to get to work

The new board has experience in working in mental health, social work or in using the services provided by Many Rivers, which includes new board member Kirsty Wells.

Wells began advocating for Many Rivers counsellors in December when workers were on strike and shared her experience using the society's counselling services to help with depression.

"I'm really happy that a lot of people turned out to voice their opinion and voice support for the workers of Many Rivers so that we can get this really, really necessary organization back on track," Wells said.

"We have people who are passionate about the work done at Many Rivers," Brandon Murdoch, a former Many Rivers counsellor and local union president, said about the new board.

"They have an understanding of what Yukoners need," she said.

Murdoch says she is feeling hopeful that with the new board Many Rivers can get back up and running.