Our apologies for incorrect information that appeared in the minutes of the May 12, 2006 Coalition meeting.  Below is letter from the Advisory Committee:

British Columbia Institutional Legacy Trust Fund

Trust Advisory Committee 

c/o Suite 820, 999 West Broadway, Vancouver  BC  V5Z 1K5   Tel. 604-775-1238

June 8, 2006

Ms. Carol Stinson, Co-Chair
Mr. Gerry Juzenas, Co-Chair
Community Living Coalition

Dear Ms. Stinson and Mr. Juzenas;

I am writing on behalf of the Advisory Committee for the BC Institutional Legacy Trust Fund regarding information contained in the Minutes of the Community Living Coalition’s meeting of May 12, 2006.

The Advisory Committee is concerned that one of the items in these minutes contains information about the BC Institutional Legacy Trust Fund which is inaccurate and which may be interpreted by readers as being a report from our committee, which it is not. I trust that this information was published in error and I would appreciate your assistance in advising recipients of these minutes of the errors. In the last several days, questions and concerns have been raised about this communication by community members, community organizations and the fund Trustee, the Victoria Foundation.

In the minutes, the agenda item (item # 4) is entitled “Woodlands Legacy Trust Fund” - the correct name of the fund is the BC Institutional Legacy Trust Fund and it is for former residents of Endicott Centre, Glendale Lodge, Tranquille and Woodlands.

Of primary concern is the statement that “the estimate is that there will be approximately $1,200 per person”. The Advisory Committee has made no such estimate and we are extremely concerned that this misinformation will create unrealistic expectations among former residents. Current estimates of the number of surviving former residents, suggest that there may be in excess of 4,000 individuals eligible for a share of the $2M fund. While this number may change (the compilation/review of these lists is on-going), it is clear that an amount of $400 to $500 per recipient would be a more prudent estimate.

We are also concerned that the wording at the beginning of the item (“Woodlands Legacy Trust Fund: Gregg Schiller – Advisory Committee of the Institutional Legacy Trust Fund has announced that …”), may inadvertently suggest to readers that Mr. Schiller is a member of the Advisory Committee or is speaking on behalf of the committee.

As you may know, the Advisory Committee is comprised of former residents of Endicott Centre, Glendale Lodge, Tranquille and Woodlands, family members of former residents and the Advocate for Service Quality. This Committee has worked diligently with great care and respect for the priorities and needs of former residents. We are proud to have accomplished a great deal over the past several months. The information updates we provide to the community are intended to keep everyone abreast of important developments and to provide interested parties with the best information available. We have been very cautious not to create expectations, make predictions or set timelines which cannot be met.

I have enclosed/attached a copy of our committee’s last official update, distributed last month to community organizations, including the Community Living Coalition (to email address communications@communitylivingcoalition.bc.ca ).  We look forward to providing another update by the end of June. Please be advised that these updates should be considered the only official and reliable source of information about the Legacy Trust Fund.

If you have any questions or if you wish to discuss any of the Advisory Committee’s plans or communications, please feel free to contact me.

I know that the Community Living Coalition shares the Advisory Committee’s desire to see that funds are distributed for the benefit of former residents as soon as possible, and we will continue to inform you of our progress toward that goal.

Thank you for your assistance.  

Sincerely,

Sharron Billey, Co-Chairperson
BC Institutional Legacy Trust Fund