Volunteer community centre board gives up governance role, citing online harassment

The board of the South Winnipeg Community Centre has given up its governance role, amid concerns about online harassment.

In a Facebook post, the board said it voted to transfer its governance authority to the City of Winnipeg.

“Over time, the broader governance environment, including sustained public commentary and repeated challenges to board processes, has affected board continuity, contributed to earlier board and senior leadership resignations and placed an unsustainable burden on volunteer leadership,” the statement said.

The board’s outgoing president declined a request for further comment.

An organization that represents Winnipeg’s 63 city-owned community centres said the decision followed a series of attacks and allegations on social media.

“This board has experienced an unprecedented amount of social media abuse through… people using pseudonyms on Facebook and slamming the board, challenging their decisions, demanding all sorts of things,” said Lora Meseman, executive director of the General Council of Winnipeg Community Centres.

“Many of the (board members) were named publicly and they felt unfairly slandered.”

Meseman said online harassment proved exhausting for some members of the volunteer board, affecting their mental health and making them feel unsafe.

“Volunteers should not have to endure that kind of public… abuse,” she said, adding social media posts about the South Winnipeg centre shared “unfounded” accusations related to election transparency, hiring concerns, governance and grant use.

After the South Winnipeg centre was transferred to city control on Tuesday, the city transferred its governance to the general council the same day.

Though not a common practice, Meseman said GCWCC is also helping oversee governance at Central Community Centre (the Freight House) and helps additional facilities with bookkeeping and other supports.

She said a new board will be sought for South Winnipeg as soon as possible.

“We’ll take some time to review, reset and return…. The intention is always to have the community involved,” said Meseman.

The South Winnipeg Community Centre also sparked headlines in 2024, after a financial audit was ordered to explore alleged mismanagement of funds. The audit found no wrongdoing and a new board was chosen later that year.

Meseman said the current allegations are not linked to that process.

“This particular board took over after the calls for that audit, (and) that audit didn’t uncover anything,” she said.

Since community centres heavily rely on volunteers to provide recreation programs, Meseman said she’s disappointed for the affected board members.

“They’ve really worked hard and they deserve a lot of compliments for the work that they’ve done,” she said.

Arthur Pearson, executive director of the South Winnipeg centre, also blamed the departures on online harassment.

“It isn’t common at all for this type of harassment to go on and it was just basically very unfair. It’s hard enough to have volunteers step up and commit to being on a board for a year or multiple years. When you add in that factor, it just becomes unsustainable,” said Pearson.

The centre has about 20 staff now, which is expected to rise to 30 positions in the winter. That team will be able to continue all existing programs, said Pearson.

“It’s… business as usual and the intention over the next six months is actually to grow,” he said. “It’s very, very busy here.”

A city councillor who called for an audit of the past financial allegations noted none were proven.

“It was simply that, an allegation, because the audit that I paid for did not demonstrate any nefarious activities,” said Coun. Markus Chambers (St. Norbert-Seine River).

The manager of Winnipeg’s community centre division said this is the first request she’s aware of by a board to relinquish its governance role.

“We’ll take some time to work through what the best path is for that board to get re-established,” said Tanis Knowles Yarnell.

The city believed the outgoing board was doing a good job, said Knowles Yarnell.

“We don’t have concerns regarding the reporting of South Winnipeg Community Centre…. We would not be doing this (transfer) if they didn’t request it,” she said. “The model does rely heavily on volunteers and we are very grateful for (them). But we can appreciate how, in some cases, it’s difficult for a group of people to keep things going.”

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

X: @joyanne_pursaga