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Castlegar victim services left without staff

One position has been vacant for 18 months
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Castlegar Victim Services program is now without staff. Photo: Google Street View

Castlegar Victim Services (CVS) is now completely without staff after the resignation of its current coordinator (effective April 22), Castlegar RCMP Sgt. Monty Taylor told Castlegar city council on April 19.

The program has already been short staffed for the last year and a half. A job vacancy left by another departing employee has yet to be filled.

The program operates in conjunction with Castlegar RCMP, but is run by Castlegar and District Community Services with funding provided by the Ministry of Justice and the City of Castlegar. MOJ provides $52,000 and the city provides $22,800 annually.

Taylor says Diana Gonzales, from the Salmo Victim Services program, will provide 15 hours a week of temporary coverage to Castlegar.

But with RCMP criminal record checks taking more than five months, Taylor says it may be a while before the position is filled if the potential candidate doesn’t already have one completed.

The news was disconcerting to council with councillor Cherryl MacLeod, who works as a local child and youth care worker saying, “This is an absolutely incredible need in this community.”

“I have people who have been trying to access that service for a while. It’s sad when the service was hit-and-miss or it’s not there at all …”

“We need to be looking after our most vulnerable. They’ve seen something they would need to use that service for. If it’s not there, or they’re told it’s not there, that’s not okay.”

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The program currently is set up for two part-time employees, but Taylor says he is working on recommendations to modernize the program to make it work better for everyone.

In the end, Taylor says it will probably take more funding to change things, primarily, enough to convert the positions to one full time and one part time employee.

Even though the CVS provides supports to RDCK Areas I and J, the regional district does not provide any funding for the program, prompting councilor Sue Heaton-Sherstibitoff to suggest the RDCK as a potential funding source.

Hiring for the program is done through Castlegar and District Community Services, but the RCMP has some input into potential candidates.

Councilor Maria McFadden said, “I’m interested to hear … if there is a way that we can allow you (local RCMP) to have more of a say in how it is running, and the employee … and some of those pieces because they are working hand in hand with you.”

Council had some questions regarding where the funding for the vacant position has gone and how victim services contracts were handed out.

Mayor Kirk Duff said accountability would be provided through the Ministry of Justice.

“When there are issues of service quality or service level, the contact person with the ministry is who needs to hear it,” said Duff.

He also suggested the rest of the conversation should be postponed until Taylor comes back with his recommendations and may be more appropriate for an in-camera session since the situation involves a local contractor and it may not be fair to hold discussions in public.

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betsy.kline@castlegarnews.com

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Betsy Kline

About the Author: Betsy Kline

After spending several years as a freelance writer for the Castlegar News, Betsy joined the editorial staff as a reporter in March of 2015. In 2020, she moved into the editor's position.
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