March
2, 2002
Update:
On March 1, 2002, CKNW reported "Fraser Valley Health
Authority president Lynda Cranston has resigned to take
over the leadership of the Provincial Health Services Authority."
That changes the count to 5 men and 1 woman in charge of
health authorities.
December
15, 2001
Six
New Regions, Six New Chairs, NO Women!
Why
is it that the Campbell government cannot find women for
senior board appointments? On Wednesday, December 12th,
Minister Sindi Hawkins announced the firing of approximately
600 volunteers on health boards throughout the province
and the appointment of six new chairs for the newly created
regions. As has been the practice
of the Campbell government with major crown corporations
(except ICBC), women are not to be found.
On
May 14, 1997, Richard Neufeld (now Minister of Energy and
Mines) acted as an advocate for BC's nurses (overwhelmingly
female). Like many of his colleagues, he advocated even
broader representation on health boards. Look at what he
said then, and what they are doing now:
R.
Neufeld: "I apologize again for not being in
the House earlier when the question was asked, but it
is difficult to be here to follow all the discussions
and, sometimes, to be able to get recognized to ask some
questions at a particular time."
"I
would like to say to the minister, and put on the record,
that in both the Fort St. John and Fort Nelson CHCs, I
am pleased -- and I think the communities are, too --
with the appointments made by the minister to those boards,
generally speaking. I'm not trying to say to the minister
that I disagree with what took place there, because I
think most people are very happy with what happened in
the north, although there was some disruption in going
from an RHB to a CHC. It's understandable; they accept
it, and they'll go on with it."
"So
in no way am I trying to say that people up there are
really unhappy with it. I think what the minister has
relayed to me is that she has had enough representation
made to her that the nurses have a good point. I agree
with you. I'm not trying to talk about special interest
groups but more from the fact that the nurses. . . . Being
married to a nurse, I know how closely they work with.
. . . You know, they're with the patients constantly --
all the time. The doctors aren't there as much as the
nurses are, yet they have a place on the board."
"So
I'm pleased, and I'll relay that message from the minister
to the nurses association in Fort St. John, that you're
going to review that and keep in mind that those things
may change in the next while, in the next year or two
-- if I could just get the minister to confirm that. Would
I be correct in saying that?"
We will have to wait and see how many nurses
are appointed to the new regional health boards.
The
biographies of the new chairs are reproduced below as
copied from the ministry website.
Provincial
Health Services Authority Board Chair - Wynne Powell
Mr. Powell is President and COO and a director of London
Drugs Limited based in Richmond, B.C. He has held this position
since 1998, having been with London Drugs since 1982. Mr.
Powell is also President and Director of London Air Services
Limited, President of TLD Computers Inc., Director of BC
Bearings Engineering Limited and Director of IGA Canada.
Mr. Powell is also a Director of the Vancouver Board of
Trade and a past member of the Premier's Economic Advisory
Council. Mr. Powell has contributed time and energy to numerous
community causes. He served as Chair of the Board of BC
Institute of Technology from 1989 to 1995 and continues
today as a Chair of the BCIT Foundation. He is Co-Chair
of the Certified General Accountants Association's national
e-commerce committee, a Director of the South Pender Island
Fire Department, a member of St. John's Ambulance Millennium
Committee, CO-Chair of Variety Club's Cash for Kids program
and a member of the YMCA's Surrey Building initiative. Mr.
Powell holds a Diploma of Technology in Business Administration
from BCIT and a FCGA (Fellow, Certified General Accountant)
designation.
Northern
Health Authority Board Chair: Harry Gairns
Mr. Gairns is a professional forester based in Prince George,
B.C. He holds a B.A.Sc. in Forestry from UBC (with a Gold
Medal in Forestry and Forest Engineering) and a Diploma
in Administration for Engineers also from UBC. From 1969
to 1992 Mr. Gairns was the President and Manager of Industrial
Forestry Service Ltd. and President of Digital Mapping Group
Ltd. Since 1992, Mr. Gairns has provided consulting services
specializing in Forest Economics and Timber Supply. Mr.
Gairns's previous community involvement includes member
of the Executive Committee of the Prince George Regional
Hospital Campaign, member of the Northern Interior Science,
Technology and Innovation Council, member of the Natural
Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and
Director of College of New Caledonia.
Interior
Health Authority Board Chair: Alan Dolman
Prior to retiring to Kelowna in 1992, Mr. Dolman spent 23
years in the financial services industry based in Toronto
and Montreal. He holds a B.Sc. from McGill University. His
positions in the industry include Director and Vice-President
of Wood Gundy and, prior to his retirement, Chief Operating
Officer of CIBC Securities and a Vice-president of CIBC.
Since moving to Kelowna in 1992, Mr. Dolman has involved
himself extensively in community and not-for-profit activities.
His community involvement includes: Director of the Central
Okanagan Foundation (Chair from 1998 to 2000); Member of
the City of Kelowna Social Planning Board (Chair in 2000);
Past Director of Literacy BC (President from 1995 to 1997);
Past Director of the Project Literacy Society of Kelowna
and a one-on-one tutor with adult learners and member of
the Business Administration Advisory Committee for Okanagan
University College.
Vancouver
Island Health Authority Board Chair: Jac Kreut
Mr. Kreut is President and Chief Executive Officer of Centra
Gas B.C. based in Victoria, B.C. He has held this position
since 1994. He is currently a director of Centra Gas B.C.
Inc. and Centra Gas Whistler Inc. Mr. Kreut previously served
as Manager, Operations and Vice President, Operations for
Pacific Northern Gas and as General Manager for Skeena Cellulose
and Weststar Timber. He has served as a member of the Canadian
Gas Association Board since 1993. Mr. Kreut was a member
of the board of the Greater Victoria Hospital Foundation
for 3 years and was the Chair for his last 6 months before
leaving the Foundation to become the first Chair of the
newly created Capital Health Region Board. He has served
on the latter board for 5 years. Mr. Kreut has a B.A.Sc.
In Chemical Engineering from UBC and completed his formal
education by attending the Advanced Management Program at
Harvard University.
Vancouver
Coastal Health Authority Board Chair: Keith Purchase
Mr. Purchase is a corporate director based in Greater Vancouver.
Prior to his retirement in 1999, he was Executive Vice-president
and Chief Operating Officer of MacMillan Bloedel. Previously,
Mr. Purchase was President and CEO of TimberWest Forest
Products and Managing Director of Tasman Pulp and Paper
in New Zealand. Mr. Purchase is a director of Norske Canada
and Heatwave Inc. He is involved in many community activities.
He currently serves as Chair of the Board of Directors of
the Greater Vancouver YMCA and a patron of the National
Mens Field Hockey Team. Mr. Purchase holds degrees in Mechanical
Engineering (University of Auckland, New Zealand) and Economics
(University of Victoria, New Zealand) and an MBA from Simon
Fraser University.
Fraser
Health Authority Board Chair: Barry Forbes
Mr. Forbes is President and Chief Executive Officer of Westminster
Savings Credit Union in New Westminster. He has held this
position since 1978. Mr. Forbes is currently a director
of WS Leasing Ltd., Westminster Savings Financial Planning
Ltd., the Credit Union Foundation of B. C., the Burnaby
Hospital Foundation (currently Board Chair) and the Westminster
Savings Foundation (focussing primarily on health and education
in the Lower Mainland) and has a long history of community
involvement. He has served on various community task forces,
committees and boards for such organizations as the Douglas
College Centre for Enterprise Development, fundraising committees
for the Burnaby Hospital and Douglas College and Youth Employment
programs for the New Westminster Chamber of Commerce. In
1995 Mr. Forbes was the recipient of the prestigious "Presidents
Award", which was presented to him by the New Westminster
Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Forbes and his family reside in
South Surrey.
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