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Friendship Centre board faces another ouster attempt

Directors of the Sault Ste. Marie Indian Friendship Centre will face a third ouster attempt on Thursday, August 8.
FriendshipCentreDoor

Directors of the Sault Ste. Marie Indian Friendship Centre will face a third ouster attempt on Thursday, August 8.

A group that has tried twice in recent months to have the Centre's board voted out is planning a protest march to the facility at 122 East Street on that date, followed by an evening members' meeting.

The group says its latest takeover bid is related to recent personnel and administrative changes.

It says it received word this week that it will not be allowed to use the Friendship Centre's meeting hall at 29 Wellington Street East for next week's vote.

A $5 soup-and-scones fundraising meal is being held at 5 p.m. this Wednesday at the Oddfellows Hall and a decision will be made there about a location for the August 8 meeting.

No one at the Friendship Centre was available Monday to discuss the recent developments with SooToday News.

One month ago, a bid to remove the board fell six votes short of the two-thirds majority needed for it to pass.

Of seventy-one voting members present at that meeting, 42 voted to remove the board and 29 opposed the motion. 48 votes were needed for the resolution to pass.

Afterward, some elders expressed concern that directors voted against their own dismissal, providing sufficient votes to tip the balance in their favour. Elders also claimed that some new members were prevented from voting by a membership freeze.

Background on the dispute

To read previous SooToday coverage of the Friendship Centre dispute, please click on the following links:

Elders vote to dissolve Indian Friendship Centre board Police intervention sought in Friendship Centre dispute Rival boards meet at Friendship Centre, resolve nothing Two Friendship Centre boards plan member meetings Former Sault Star staffer takes over at Friendship Centre Friendship Centre survives nonconfidence vote

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David Helwig

About the Author: David Helwig

David Helwig's journalism career spans seven decades beginning in the 1960s. His work has been recognized with national and international awards.
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