Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - July 9, 2004, Winnipeg, Manitoba A4 Winnipeg free press Friday july 9, 2004 Hydra House defends client care amid scandal by Paul Egan h Ydra House Ltd. Is working hard to continue to care for its clients and is taking seriously a damning report by auditor general Jon Singleton a company executive said yesterday. Diane Lau hydras ceo of service made her comments As debate shifted from alleged financial abuses detailed in singletons report to the Quality of care provided to Hydra houses roughly 90 disabled clients in about 11 Winnipeg group Homes. Rod Lauder advocacy coordinator for the association for Community living ? Winnipeg said he a received three missing continued from Page a1 the girls remains were found in March. Police have no suspects in her highly publicized Case. About a dozen police officers and family including her father Troy keenness were involved in the search for Tamra yesterday while another 11 were part of the investigation. With every hour that goes by con Cern starts to mount said Popowich. Tamra who lives with her Mother and five siblings including her twin sister was last seen at her Home in Regina score area about 11 . Mon Day. The next morning she was nowhere to be found so her family contacted police who began searching and Noti fied the news Media. As checks with family and friends proved fruitless police called in search and Rescue groups. A command Post was set up in a Church parking lot about a Block from the keenness Home. Tamra a aunt Rachel Mcarthur was keeping an Eye on the girls siblings while their Mother Lorraina kept a 24-hour Vigil. The kids they seem to be of. My kids keep them occupied Mcarthur service complaints related to Hydra House in about the last three or four years. In a typical year Lauder said he might receive five to 10 total complaints about All Winnipeg service providers to the disabled. It was significant to me Lauder said of the number of complaints which he said were concentrated around 2002. Lauder said the complaints related to privacy concerns surrounding a teenage girl living in a group Home inappropriate living conditions for an autistic Young Man in a group Home and unhappiness with a Foster Parent funded through Hydra House. The free press reported thursday that former Hydra House manager Gail mar tin said a group Home for children on said. ? the Mother has to slept at All. She a been hanging in there after a Windy and Rainy night of searching Back alleys and streets the night before at least 35 volunteers were combing the streets again yesterday. It la be a lot easier to search in the Daylight. Because. We can see what a going on said Douglas Scott who was out with his Mother Jerry. Nighttime was really hard with flashlights. You never know what you might miss Tamra is described As aboriginal with bobbed Brown hair and Brown eyes. She has a thin build at 3-5 and about 40 pounds. When last seen she was wearing a Light Blue striped Halter top with Pink accents Light Blue jeans and Pink and White shoes. Tamra a parents have said its unusual for their child to go off by herself. Cecilia Zhang a similar abduction in Toronto came less than six months after the disappearance of 10-year-old Holly Jones another Toronto girl who disappeared while walking Home after visiting a Friend. The remains of Holly a body were found in Lake Ontario. Computer worker Michael Briere was convicted of first degree murder in june for her death. In May 2001, the body of five year old Jessica Koopmans was found in a attention All Gold key lease customers who have up to 13 remaining lease payments we will get them waived. 2005 Dodge caravan 2005 Chrysler 300 3.3l v6, air tilt cruise pad Podl factory 3.5 a v6, loaded a Security alarm. Sunscreen Glass & More. St. #5023. Drive in style St. #5073. Lease $319 lease $399 Spence Street was in a poor state of repair when she worked there Between 1995 and 2000 and that the rooms were cold. Family services minister Christine Melnick confirmed through a spokesman yesterday that there were problems at the Spence Street Home run by Hydra House. In 2000, they were asked to Correct the deficiencies and did so the spokesman said. Lau declined to respond to the com ments by Martin or Lauder. What we re doing Here is we re working really hard to continue to care for our clients and we re taking the report seriously Lau said in a Telephone interview. Singletons report said Hydra House ? a private for profit company that received $5.8 million in Public funding Roy Antal / Regina Leader Post Tamra was last seen in her Home monday evening. Pile of Brush a week after she vanished from outside her Home in Lethbridge Alta. Tony Gallup was convicted in june 2002 of first degree murder in her death but he is appealing. ? Canadian press come in today and experience the ultimate Comfort of the worlds most comfortable Recliner last year ? paid excessive salaries and bonuses and spent Money from the government on cars meals and furniture and trips overseas and to Florida. Singleton said he want accusing the company of doing anything illegal but said anyone who handles Public Money has a duty to be prudent and careful with what they do with it. Also yesterday Public accountant Levan Hall named by the province As a third party manager to oversee Hydra House operations said he will enter the company a Broadway Headquarters for the first time today. Hall who said he could be at Hydra House two to six months said he will oversee spending to make sure financial abuses cited by sin Gleton Are not continuing. But he wont museum continued from Page a1 the private sector is raising $60 Mil lion while the City and province Are in for a total of $40 million. The Federal government has already Given the museum project $30 million which Alcock said was All that was Ever promised. He added he was surprised the Feder Al government was being hammered on to make commitments of this order of magnitude so soon after the election and before a new Cabinet has been appointed. However Sheila Copps then minister of heritage said during the official announcement 14 months ago on behalf of the prime minister i wish to announce a first investment of $30 Mil lion by the government of Canada to Cre ate the museum. Levy said that clearly shows Ottawa was planning to make More contributions which the verbal agreement said would be linked to the Aspers raising Money from other sources including the City province and private sector. We Don to want All the Money at once he said. All we need is a commitment so we can move Asper has said a Long delay in securing Federal funds could kill the project and scare off potential donors. Several employees have been hired and an International architectural com petition has been staged with a $3 million operating Grant from the department of Man hit by car on u of m Campus have the Power to cancel contracts hire or fire or reallocate resources he said. Opposition Leader Stuart Murray called yesterday for a special meeting of the Public accounts committee so we can question government and Hydra House individuals connected to this the Canadian Union of Public employees which represents about 100 work ers in Hydra House Homes said it was outraged by the reported spending abuses. We were told repeatedly that they did to have enough Money to pay the workers More said Ann Robins a cupe National staff member. They con stantly pleaded poverty.?. ? with file by Mia Rabson Western diversification. But Asper said that Money will run out in four months and she might be reluctant to throw Good Money after bad if there Are no signs of Progress. The museum would be a National Cul Tural facility the first outside Ottawa. As such the Aspers said it was Only right that the Federal government make the largest financial commitment. But Alcock said that was their concept and it has never been officially endorsed. I mean the operating Money they want is larger than the entire operating budget for the entire museums program in Canada he said. Its not mayor Sam Katz said he would meet with the Asper family to determine what role he can play in moving the project Forward. This is All very sad Katz said noting the museum would transform the City into an International destination. Phil Fontaine grand chief of the Assembly of first nations said he planned to lobby Ottawa to ensure the project does to collapse. Fontaine said aboriginals were pleased that their stories and plight would finally be told in a National museum. Levy said the final design for the museum will be unveiled later this summer. When the people of Winnipeg see it they Are going to be very excited and they Are going to want this museum More than Ever he said. a 22-year-old Man was in Hospital last night after being hit by a car in a University of Manitoba intersection. Police said the Man was on foot when a Black car hit him just after 7 . At Dafoe Road and University Crescent an intersection with traffic lights. The Man apparently hit the cars front wind shield on the passenger Side leaving a Large concave Hole in the shattered Glass. The Man was rushed to Victoria hos Pital initially in unstable condition but police said last night his condition was not life threatening although he May have brain injuries. Shortly after the Accident police offi cers and Campus Security roped off the eastbound Lane with yellow police tape and rerouted traffic leaving the dam aged Black car parked about a metre in front of the crosswalk. Officers were interviewing at least one witness to the crash. 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