Two board members of the Lighthouse Supported Living in Saskatoon have assumed leadership of the shelter as its executive director is on leave, according to internal communications provided to Global News.
A letter addressed to Lighthouse management Tuesday states that the board appointed chair Jerome Hepfner and vice chair Twila Reddekopp as the facility’s co-managing directors. Executive director Don Windels was placed on leave the same day, the letter stated.
An email to staff said the board is committed to acting in the Lighthouse’s best interests.
“As you may know, there have been challenges at the Board level which have led to significant uncertainty,” reads part of the email.
A reason wasn’t given to employees for the leadership change.
Windels declined to comment when contacted by Global News. In an email, Reddekkopp declined to answer questions, citing “a lot of moving pieces to this situation.”
“Throughout this process, the day to day operations of the Lighthouse have suffered,” states the email to staff. “And several very crucial matters have been mismanaged or neglected.”
The Lighthouse is the midst of remedying 42 fire code and 12 property maintenance deficiencies identified by the Saskatoon Fire Department. Issues were first spotted during an April inspection and underscored by a fire at the shelter on Dec. 10, according to Assistant Fire Chief Yvonne Raymer.
As of Thursday, Raymer told Global News fire officials are “encouraged” to see 14 of the 42 fire code issues dealt with, along with four of the 12 property maintenance deficiencies.
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“They’re moving in the right direction and we don’t believe that we’ll have to actually step in and do any of the work,” Raymer said in an interview.
High priority problems like the fire alarm and sprinkler system have been fixed and fire exits have been cleared, Raymer said. The Lighthouse has until the end of the month to correct the remaining violations.
Moving forward, the Lighthouse officials have discussed a maintenance plan to prevent further fire safety issues, Raymer said.
During a cold snap earlier this month, the Lighthouse leadership considered a temporary closure for up to two weeks, according to a source employed by the facility.
Staff were dealing with frozen pipes, burst sprinklers and backed up sewage, said the source, adding someone had smashed sinks in a men’s bathroom and a water heater went down. Supply chain issues meant an extended wait for replacement parts, according to the source.
The facility is also grappling with staffing shortages due to COVID-19. The Lighthouse has been the site of a declared outbreak by the Saskatchewan government since Oct. 21, 2021.
The incoming co-managing directors have been directed by the board to understand the extent of the required repairs in the building, security procedures resulting in the “current lack of control within the building” and the “the decision-making process used to start to take action to close the shelter,” according to the letter to managers.
Managers were also instructed to follow directions and carry out assigned tasks.
“Insubordination in any form will not be tolerated,” said the signed letter from Hepfner and Reddekopp.
The Lighthouse is one of three shelters for people experiencing homelessness in Saskatoon. The Salvation Army’s men’s emergency shelter is located at 339 Avenue C South.
The Saskatoon Tribal Council’s temporary wellness centre is situated at 145 1st Avenue North.
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