Upheaval at Saskatoon Lighthouse as executive director is placed on leave
The executive director at The Lighthouse Supported Living is now on leave, less than a week after the Saskatoon Fire Department revealed it has found dozens of issues at the shelter during inspections over the past year.
According to a letter sent to Lighthouse management and obtained by CTV News, longtime executive director Don Windels was placed on leave as of Tuesday.
Windels' responsibilities will be assumed by two members of the board, Twila Reddekopp and Jerome Hepfner — the authors of the letter.
On Jan. 14, the fire department announced it has issued tickets and orders to correct several hazards. Most of the issues appeared to be "relatively minor" repairs.
In the letter to the shelter's management, Hepfner and Reddekopp said as co-managers they have been tasked with understanding "the true nature" of the Lighthouse's situation, including the cost and scope of the needed repairs.
"There is one opportunity for us to collectively turn things around and bring the Lighthouse back to a place where we are all working together for the betterment of our clients and residents," Hepfner and Reddekopp write.
Windels has not responded to CTV News' request for comment.
Beyond fixing the issues flagged by fire inspectors, the board members write they will review the shelter's security procedures and how they may have played a factor in what they describe as a "current lack of control within the building."
In a statement, the Lighthouse management team said its hopeful the change in leadership does not affect day-to-day operations.
However, due the "uncertainty the situation has created" the management team said it's calling on the Saskatchewan government to appoint a member of the province's Dispute Resolution Office to "constructively work through the issues" all parties are facing.
In a statement, Jeff Redekop, executive director of income assistance service delivery at the Ministry of Social Services said the"ministry continues to engage in conversations with Lighthouse Supported Living regarding their efforts to ensure services for clients continue without disruption."
"They are an autonomous organization, and the ministry is unable to speak to the organization’s human resources," Redekop said.
A justice ministry spokesperson said requests are made to the Dispute Resolution Office confidentially for its fee-for-service mediation, facilitation and conflict resolution services.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
Crypt near Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner could fetch US$400,000 at auction
A one-space mausoleum crypt in the vicinity of Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner will go on auction Saturday, when it is expected to reach between US$200,000 and $400,000.
This Toronto restaurant is no longer accepting tips. Here's how it's going
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff – tipping is no longer accepted.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Premiers not being truthful about carbon tax, Trudeau says while sparks fly in Ottawa
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Conservative premiers across the country are 'not telling the truth' when it comes to the carbon tax. Trudeau's comments came as fresh sparks were flying in Ottawa at a recalled House of Commons committee.
Far North police 'dispatch' polar bear stalking schoolyard
Police and local hunters in an Ontario Far North First Nation community have “dispatched” a polar that was showing abnormal behaviour and treating the area as a hunting ground.
What new auto insurance reforms will mean for Ontarians, if they get introduced
Ontario has among the highest rates for auto insurance premiums in Canada -- just below Alberta and Nova Scotia -- however, the introduction of an insurance reform in the provincial budget could soon lower prices.