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Delta North MLA looks into ‘suspicious’ funding

MLA Ravi Kahlon has questions about $200,000 BC Liberal government gave New Horizons Village Society
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Delta North MLA Ravi Kahlon (Black Press file photo)

Delta North MLA Ravi Kahlon is looking into how a society was able to receive a $200,000 grant less than three weeks after it began.

“During the election, I had heard rumours that there were grants being handed out and there were some questions being raised at that time,” Kahlon, also the parliamentary secretary for sport and multiculturalism, said.

“But during the election, you know, you hear lots of things and 90 per cent are not usually correct. And so I just let it go.”

In March 2017, the B.C. government gave out more than $8 million in one-time grants, including $200,000 for New Horizons Village Society. The funding was given out on March 17, just over a month before the election was called.

New Horizons Village Society aims to teach youth to be socially responsible and allow seniors to age in place, according to the request for funding society directors Satnam Johal and Kulwinder Badesha sent to then-Housing Minister Rich Coleman on February 10.

The society intended to create affordable housing for seniors, as well as a senior and youth health and wellness centre.

According to Kahlon, there was no public announcement for the $200,000 in funding to the Surrey organization.

“Governments are proud of supporting the community,” he said. “This was one of the grants the government issued before the election, and there was no media event. No public announcement.”

“It raised alarm bells for me.”

Kahlon said he first started “pulling the string” of the funding when he heard it mentioned on a locala radio program at the end of October. Now, more than two weeks into his investigation, he’s found little other than information about the organization.

Kahlon has not spoken to directors Johal and Badesha about the funding, saying it was not his place.

“I must say, here Mr. Kahlon, has put the horse before the cart,” Johal said in an email.

“Instead of finding the facts first and finishing his investigation, Mr. Kahlon jumped to media and started using the words like ‘smoke test’ to sound as something is wrong and tarnish not just the credibility of our newly-formed society. but also … our image and our personal life.

“Being a responsible minister of government, this is something that should have an avoided.”

Kahlon said he is more interested in looking at where the money came from in government, and why so much was awarded to a society with no prior history of philanthropy.

In a Nov. 3 Vancouver Sun article, it was suggested Kahlon was also looking into this because of possible B.C. Liberal links in New Horizon Village Society. According to the Sun article, Badesha is a B.C. Liberal party member, and fellow director Jagmohan Singh ran unsuccessful for the B.C. Liberals in Surrey-Fleetwood in 2009.

Kulwinder Badesha, one of the directors of New Horizons Village Society, said he isn’t part of the day to day operations of the society, and asked that questions be directed to Satnam Johal.

“Anybody, NDP, Liberal, Conservative, anybody would like to do something good for the community,” he said over the phone Tuesday. “We always cooperate with people, but I am not that much involved in politics.”

In an emailed statement Shane Mills, executive director of issues management for the B.C. Liberal Caucus, said that New Horizons “was one of hundreds of organizations that applied for and received one-time grants to support worthy causes and help British Columbians. Innovative housing proposals were encouraged and regularly funded by our government over the last 16 years.”

So far, New Horizons Village Society has not spent any of the money given to the society in March. Kahlon said his “suggestion to them would be to return the money if they’re not going to use it.”

“The funding we received from the government is for the good cause and we strongly believe in the vision, mission and goals of our society,” Johal said in an email. “Like other non-profit agencies, we will work to see it’s objectives are reached.”

Johal went on to say that it was surprising for the government to ask for money back from a non-profit, indicating that it was “unprecedented in the history of Canada and Mr. Kahlon has to explain that.”

Kahlon will continue to look into records for the funding and where it came from. When he finds that out, he intends to take his investigation to the appropriate ministry.

“It’s quite suspicious to me, to be honest, and so that’s kind of where we’re at now,” he said. “I continue my search to get more information.”



grace.kennedy@northdeltareporter.com

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