Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - February 28, 2001, Winnipeg, Manitoba A4 local i ii i Fth Huahn 2001 f Rel ii v i Sage eng continued from Page a1 a review by the Manitoba civil service ordered when controversy erupted Over Courchene role with the Sage eng treatment Cen was released the commission looked into whether Courchene had acted in conflict of inter est while working for the and ruled he had its the second time the do Dun Woody audit has wound up in the Public an abridged version of the audit was released last november by health one difference is the full audit cites data from previous the free press and Globe and mail obtained the full audit through an Access information health Canada is performing a new audit of the treatment located on Sage eng first 125 Kilometres Northeast of win the Dunwoody audit is of Sage eng solvent treatment Centre part of the Complex that has undergone Many name changes but is now called the Virginia Fontaine addictions the foundation ran an adult alcohol rehabilitation a girls solvent treatment program and a boys sol vent treatment the Dunwoody audit refers to the boys and girls solvent treatment it says Sec consulting was to be paid a further million by the sol vent treatment Centre under a five year con tract that was to expire in the audit examined financial records Only up to the monthly fees paid by the solvent treatment Centre to Sig consulting amount to about a the audit Calls the payments excessive in terms of comparison to the highest paid employee at the solvent treatment Cen tre who received per the Dunwoody audit said Sec consulting obtained its contract with the sol vent treatment Centre without tender and other competitive it notes that Sec consulting Steve is the Cousin of treat ment Centre ceo Ken Courchene and president Perry and the son of then Board member Henry it also says that Steve Courchene was a Board member of the Virginia Fontaine memorial Centre the Sage eng com pleas alcohol treatment program at the time of the whether the transactions Are at arms should be a it the audit noted Sec consulting is not listed in the Manitoba Telephone it Centre management refused to answer questions on the terms and conditions of the consulting arrangement with Sec consulting do Dunwoody audit said Sec consulting is an unincorporated business registered in Manitoba on for the purpose of aboriginal traditional Healing and alcohol the solvent treatment Centre records show a lease agreement with Sec consulting for 16 a portable class two a sweat four houses on the Reserve and from two to six the audit found the lease arrange ments with Many discrepancies and frequently unsupported by the audit also found that eight of the 16 trailers being leased from Sec consulting had been purchased by the solvent treatment the bulk of the payment to Sec consulting was for in Sec consulting was paid in total for consult ing and for auditors were not Able to find out what consulting work Sec consulting did for the Centre management refused to answer questions on the terms and conditions of the consulting arrangement with Sec the audit the civil service commission report by labour relations officer Ronald Cann notes that Courchene involve ment with the treatment Centre ended before he was hired by Robinson at aboriginal and North Ern the report says that after becoming a Provin Cial Courchene divested himself of membership on various aboriginal remaining Only As a Board member of the aboriginal Council of Winnipeg until september As for Courchene involvement with Sage eng treatment the report states there is no evidence at this time to suggest any this Issue clearly Falls within Federal jurisdiction rather than provincial Juris the report said the nip government should continue to Monitor health Cana Das probe of the treatment Centre to determine Courchene if and to see if further civil service review is Industry minister Mary Ann Miry Chuk said that while she accepts yesterdays the Issue is not Over until a Federal review of Sage eng is we accept this As the information that we have at the present she but the Story is not she said nip officials had no idea of Courchene involvement with the treat ment Centre when he was hired at aboriginal and Northern affairs or later at Joe Byks a Winnipeg free press Caroline and about 20 people from the Sage eng first nation staged a protest Sage eng Centre remains open by Paul Mckie Sage eng first nation Mem Bers came to Winnipeg yester Day to protest yesterdays closure of its beleaguered treatment but the Centre apparently will stay open at least 10 More health Canadas Jeff fender said while the government department has withheld All funding to the Virginia Fontaine treatment the Cen tres administration decides when it will fender said a letter from the Centre indicated it would close yes but sources told the free press that the Community and economic develop ment the Dunwoody audit also questioned payments totalling to Kaif whose sole owner is Keith Keith Fontaine is the brother of treat ment Centre president Perry at the time covered by the Keith Fontaine was also a director of the Vir Ginia Fontaine memorial which was then the alcohol treatment pro the audit noted that the solvent treat ment Centre and the Virginia Fontaine Centre will remain open until March seven adult patients remain at the fender said 11 of the youth patients were transferred to the whiskey Jack treatment Centre in another nine returned Home at the request of their said he said the adult patients remain at the facility because they want to stay yesterday about 20 band members braved subzero temperatures in front of health Canadas York Avenue offices to demand that health Canada keep the treatment Centre they should be there to maintain that the place stays open under an interim management until everything is corrected or found out where the glitches said Caroline Bruyere said the province Doest close the health sciences Centre when it has problems with doctors or shut Down the casinos when manage ment expense claims come under health Canada has withheld All funding to the alcohol and drug rehabilitation Centre pending the results of a full the Centre made nation Al headlines when it was disclosed staff and administration went on a Caribbean with files from Bill Redekop memorial Centre shared pro Gram managers and facilities and program and should be considered to be related it maintained five people were essentially in control of the treatment com plex at the time of the audit Perry Keith Ken Church Steve Courchene and Henry the original do Dunwoody audit is considerably More detailed and emphatic in its commentary than the version health Canada provided to news Media late last for auditors say their attempts to audit the Centre were repeat edly impeded or no Oral questions were no on site office was made available to Audi the auditors work hours were limited to five hours a they were not allowed a and employees monitored their which limited confidential Audi related discussions after hours were also limited because the treatment Centre refused to allow the audit team to remove or copy any with files from Sean Oconnor Aztec god of our god of executive chef Tom 26 time Gold medal Welcome to the Royal Palms delicious treasures from exotic lands prepared by or award winning All served in a Jungle atmosphere that has to be seen to be then you too will come of believe in the Powers of the 1 j its one of the most unique dining experiences youll and its right outside your the Royal Palms restaurant at club Regent Casino West far would you t i Brief Man arrested at treatment Centre a Winnipeg Man whose face appeared in the wanted column in the free press on monday has been arrested at the Vir Ginia Fontaine treatment police received an Anonymous phone Call on monday and arrested Peter Florian who has been wanted on a Manitoba wide warrant since october Poitra has been featured three times in the wanted column after his estranged wife was he remains at the remand Centre awaiting a court appear ramp Steve saunders1 said there is no indication the treatment Centre at Sage eng first nation was attempting to hide he there is no statute in Law to allow treatment centres to do criminal background checks on those seeking people Are not denied admittance to a treatment facility or Hospital because of their criminal Saunders people Are admitted because they need treatment not As a form of Mould removal program a big Success the province is looking to make permanent a Pilot program aimed at training people on employment welfare recipients and inmates at Milner Ridge correction facility to remove Mould and Asbestos from Hugh an assistant Deputy minister in government said whether the Pilot becomes permanent depends on provincial budget deliberations currently taking but he said the Pilot started about a year has been a big this is simply not a make work it is a training the voluntary program is aimed at Northern com and has so far produced 37 graduates from employment assistance programs and 30 graduates from Milner Ridge a minimum Security individual programs Are being conducted at Milner the Dauphin health Centre and personal care and Duke of Marlborough school in Swan says there is plenty of Opportunity for program Grad Mould is a fact of he Mould usually appears on Walls where there Are Damp con though it int always it can produce toxins in the air and be a health Hazard causing allergies to spark even lung Asbestos was commonly used in construction until the Early though the number is there Are still buildings throughout the province containing two men in Hospital with Stab wounds Winnipeg police Are investigating a stabbing that took place near Furby Street and Mcdermot Avenue Early yester Day two aged 19 and were stabbed in the incident and were taken to both Are expected to make a full Bob Johnson said a preliminary investigation has determined the two men knew each other but the incident was not police interviewed a number of witnesses yesterday find said they had the people responsible for the incident in Cus charges Are ;