B.C. hires $150K consultant to advise on future of Downtown Eastside
The British Columbia government has hired a former Ontario cabinet minister and CEO of Legal Aid B.C. on a lucrative contract to advise the premier on the future of the Downtown Eastside.
Premier David Eby's office confirmed Michael Bryant was appointed to the consultancy in February on a six-month contract worth $150,000.
'What they really wanted was some fresh eyes to provide them with some feedback on what is working, what isn't working, and most importantly whether the plans the province has underway and the commitments the province made during the election are going to make sense and what is the best way to roll out these next steps,' Bryant told Global News in an interview on Monday.
'So for the last three months, that is what I have been doing.'
That interview came after Bryant refused to answer questions on Saturday.
Story continues below advertisement
2:17
Vancouver Downtown Eastside honours memory of local advocate
Global News made several attempts to connect with him last week at his drop-in office at the Overdose Prevention Society after hearing from Downtown Eastside stakeholders who raised questions about the purpose of his job, his salary, and why his appointment wasn't announced publicly.
Get daily National news
Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy
'I have not been secret about meeting with folks and trying to get tours of SROs, of the not-for-profits providing service, Insite, the Overdose Prevention Society, the municipal, provincial, federally funded services around harm reduction, as well as a host of stakeholders,' Bryant said on Monday.
'What matters is what the government delivers in terms of next steps and the impact that it has, and how exactly that gets put together, the transparency on that front is one for the government to decide, but I am happy to do this interview and talk about what I have been doing.'
Story continues below advertisement
Along with the salary, Bryant's contract comes with a $25,000 expense account, the premier's office told Global News in a statement.
Upon becoming premier in 2022, Eby said the province would take over running a coordinated approach to address issues in the Downtown Eastside.
'Mr. Bryant was chosen for this policy work due to his legal background and lived experience,' the statement reads.
'The intent was to announce this appointment earlier, regrettably this didn't happen.'
2:06
Eby government planning to take on coordination of DTES services
Between 2008 and 2009, Bryant served as a cabinet minister in the Ontario Liberal government, holding portfolios including Attorney General, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Minister of Economic Development.
In 2009, he was charged with criminal negligence causing death and dangerous driving causing death after an incident that left Toronto bike courier Darcy Sheppard with a fatal head injury.
Story continues below advertisement
In a controversial decision, the charges were later withdrawn and the case never went to trial.
Years later, he served as executive director for the Canadian Civil Liberties Association before his appointment as CEO of Legal Aid B.C., a position he held between January 2022 and April 2024.
Bryant maintains his job is to come up with concrete recommendations to improve the situation in the city's beleaguered Downtown Eastside in the near term.
'The government and the public doesn't need a DTES czar, another expert. Rather, they want some action. And that's what I was retained to do and get it underway and get it happening as soon as possible,' he said.
'The question becomes what can we do next that will have the biggest impact and achieve some measure of healing and recovery for people on one hand, continue to deliver the harm reduction services, continue to deliver the social services, provide the housing first that this government has undertaken, but also get the federal government to come in and do their job.'
It's unclear if Bryant could be in line for a permanent government position after his contract expires in August.
— with files from Rumina Daya
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Global News
7 hours ago
- Global News
Iranian Canadians and others watch and worry after U.S. strikes on nuclear sites
Iranian Canadians and Jewish groups turned worried eyes to the Middle East on Sunday, as U.S. strikes against three Iranian nuclear sites raised fears of escalating violence. Nimâ Machouf, a member of a Montreal Iranian women's association, said family members in Iran are living 'from one bomb to another.' 'I'm very worried because this will only accelerate the violence in the region,' she said in a phone interview. 'It will further aggravate the problem and take us further away from peace.' Machouf, who is also an epidemiologist and former NDP candidate, believes the strikes will only hurt the people who are fighting to free themselves from Iran's repressive regime. Attacks from other countries means that Iran's people 'are not protected by their government, nor protected by others, by the international community,' she said. 'So people feel abandoned by everyone, everywhere.' Story continues below advertisement 0:50 Iran's UN envoy accuses Netanyahu of 'hijacking' U.S. foreign policy The United States inserted itself in Israel's war against Iran early Sunday as it launched strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites. Police in Toronto and Vancouver have published messages on social media platform X, confirming an increase in police presence in both cities while authorities monitor the situation in the Middle East. The Toronto police post said that more police presence 'can be expected wherever necessary,' while Vancouver police said more officers and resources will be deployed to 'certain places of worships, cultural and community centres, and diplomatic buildings.' Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'Conflicts in the Middle East are thousands of kilometres away, but they reverberate closely in our diverse community and impact many peoples' sense of safety,' the post from Vancouver police said, adding that more officers have also been deployed to make sure protests 'remain lawful.' Story continues below advertisement 'We're listening to local faith leaders and community representatives from countries impacted by the conflicts … Our priority is your safety.' Prime Minister Mark Carney wrote on social media that U.S. military action was designed to alleviate the 'grave threat' Iran's nuclear program represents to international security. 'Canada has been consistently clear that Iran can never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon,' he wrote. 1:42 Israel says world should 'thank' U.S. after strikes on Iranian nuclear sites But Carney said the situation in the Middle East was 'highly volatile,' and urged the parties to return to the negotiating table and reach a diplomatic solution. The interim president of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs described Iran's nuclear program on Sunday as a 'grave danger to global peace and security.' 'Eliminating this threat is an essential step toward achieving a safer Middle East and a more secure and peaceful world,' wrote Noah Shack, who urged the federal government to 'stand strong against the Iranian threat.' Story continues below advertisement Kaveh Shahrooz, a lawyer and a senior fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, said many Iranians are worried about the impact the U.S. decision will have on civilians. 'I think there's quite a bit of (concern) simply because there's a lot of unknowns,' he said. Shahrooz said Iran's regime offers virtually no protection to its own citizens in the form of air raid sirens or shelters, and internet has been cut off. 'So there's a lot of fear about what we will find out once internet connection is restored and we're able to talk to our families again,' he said. Shahrooz said feelings among Canada's Iranian diaspora vary, from anger at the strikes to support for U.S. actions. 'Among the people who are not supportive of Iran's regime, I think there are some who are cheering and who are saying this was long overdue,' he said. 'And they're happy to see the Iranian regime's nuclear program effectively dismantled and to see that regime humiliated.' On the other hand, Machouf called any suggestion that Israel will 'liberate' Iran's people a 'masquerade' and said regime change must come from within. Gur Tsabar, a spokesperson with Jews Say No to Genocide, said a rally called 'Hands Off Iran' was organized for Sunday afternoon in Toronto to demand sanctions on Israel and a two-way arms embargo. He described recent Israeli and American actions in Iran as 'beyond disturbing.' Story continues below advertisement Tsabar said the rally scheduled for Sunday afternoon is co-organized by 16 groups, including the Iranian Canadian Congress, Palestinian Youth Movement, Jews Say No to Genocide and a number of labour unions.
Global News
12 hours ago
- Global News
Former Liberal minister John McCallum dead at 75
See more sharing options Send this page to someone via email Share this item on Twitter Share this item via WhatsApp Share this item on Facebook John McCallum, a former Liberal cabinet minister and a mainstay of 21st century Canadian politics, has died at age 75, his family confirms. A statement says McCallum passed away peacefully Saturday surrounded by family. McCallum was first elected to the House of Commons to represent the Greater-Toronto-Area riding of Markham in 2000 after a career that included stints as chief economist at the Royal Bank of Canada and dean of arts at McGill University. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy He would go on to serve as a cabinet minister for three different Liberal prime ministers across a variety of portfolios. McCallum was also Canada's ambassador to China from 2017 to 2019, but resigned at the request of then-prime minister Justin Trudeau after McCallum waded into controversies surrounding the arrest of a Huawei executive in Canada. Story continues below advertisement His relatives say they remember him as a loving and kind family man with a witty sense of humour. More coming.
Global News
14 hours ago
- Global News
Undocumented students push for right to education, but Alberta noncommittal
Ariana Zapata's favourite subject in school is social studies. For the 13-year-old in Edmonton, this means lessons on historical societies, colonialism, how worldviews are developed and so on. The eighth grader's own worldview is still being built, but she has pillars in place: family, fight for what you believe in, don't be too trusting and, critically, education is a right. That's why, when Zapata gets home from school every day, she passes on what she learned to her three younger siblings. 'That way when they go back to school, they won't feel behind,' she said in a recent interview. School bells haven't applied to her brother and sisters in two years. They were kicked out of school when officials realized they were undocumented. Story continues below advertisement Zapata is undocumented, too, but said her school hasn't figured that out yet. Alberta isn't unique in denying children without legal residency status from attending public school. Ontario is the only Canadian province or territory that legally requires schools to enrol undocumented children. 1:49 Alberta government proposes education act amendments Zapata and her family, along with a coalition of non-profit advocacy groups, want Alberta to follow in Ontario's footsteps. Samantha Vaux, a social worker with an Edmonton-based group that works with undocumented families, said that by not doing so, Alberta is not fulfilling commitments made by signing the United Nations Convention of the Child in 1999. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Originally ratified in 1990, the convention states signatories 'shall' make 'primary education compulsory and available free to all.' 'It's not a privilege, it's a right,' said Vaux, with the Islamic Family and Social Services Association. 'The more those children are kept out of school, the more harmful it is not only to them, (but) to their family, the community, even our society.' Story continues below advertisement There's no dependable estimate for how many undocumented people live in Canada. A briefing note prepared for former federal immigration minister Marc Miller last year said there could be as many as 500,000. Zapata's family came to Canada from Mexico a few years ago and applied for refugee status. All four Zapata children attended school for two years while the family's application was being processed. But when it was denied, so too was their right to attend publicly funded schools. The family decided it wasn't safe to return to Mexico and has stayed in Canada without documentation. Zapata said she feels the need to watch her back on the way to school, given the precariousness of her situation. Dayana Rodriguez knows that feeling, too. Rodriguez, 18, and her family came to Edmonton from Mexico in 2019 and applied for refugee status. Like the Zapatas, Rodriguez and her family were denied, but decided to stay. She attended school until 2022, but stopped after losing her residency status. 'We didn't even get out of the house,' she said of her time out of school. 'You are in your house, four walls. We couldn't even go to the park comfortably. Story continues below advertisement 'It was like being in a jail.' When the Rodriguez family applied again, she returned to school, though she has recently dropped out to start working and support the family, including her two younger siblings. Rodriguez's five-year-old sister was born in Canada, so she might not face enrolment issues when the next school year comes around — but her teen brother might. 'They were also asking for his papers,' Rodriguez said. 'We had to talk to the school and they kind of let him (stay) for a little, but we don't know what's going to happen.' Vaux, who works with an undocumented family from Pakistan with four school-aged kids — all of whom can't enrol — said education is just one aspect of life that's barred to undocumented people in Canada. Public health care isn't an option, nor are jobs protected by labour laws. In May, after Vaux and other advocacy groups spoke at months of meetings, Edmonton Public School trustees voted to ask the province to change the laws to allow undocumented kids to go to school. Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides hasn't directly answered questions about whether he'd considered making legislative changes, saying only that Alberta strives to 'strike a balance between responsibility to taxpayers and compassion for those arriving to the province.' Story continues below advertisement Since the school board vote, his office denied multiple interview requests over a two-week period. It also didn't answer questions about whether Nicolaides agreed that Alberta isn't living up to its commitment to compulsory education. 'It's important to note that most foreign children are eligible for a funded education in the province,' Nicolaides said in a statement. Vaux said the lack of a clear answer was 'unacceptable.' 'It's literally red tape,' she said. 'Why are children's education stopped because of that?' She said children didn't make the decision to live without documentation, but are being punished as if they did. 'Children shouldn't have to suffer or deal with these adult issues,' Vaux said. 'They didn't ask to be put in those situations.'
