Death of Alex Gervais was preventable, says friend's mother

The mother of Alex Gervais's best friend is speaking out about a tragedy she says was preventable.

Gervais fell to his death from a hotel window earlier this month.

The 18-year-old was one off 33 youth displaced when the province cancelled a contract with the agency running a group home after serious allegations were raised.

He was moved to a hotel room where he was living by himself in violation of provincial policy.

Deanna Birch, the mother of Gervais's best friend, says she saw him the day before he died and was very worried about him.

"I had talked to him the night before and he was very upset," she said. "I wanted to pick him up and I didn't. He didn't want to come. He said I'll call you and he never phoned back."

• Alex Gervais's death: at least 23 children housed in B.C. hotels since last November
• Teen's death leaves Minister Stephanie Cadieux 'angry' policy ignored
• Alex Gervais death: At least 1 other child in B.C. care is living in a hotel

Birch broke down in tears while sharing her story with CBC News, adding that she wished she had taken Gervais in herself.

She said her son and his friends are not coping well with his death.

Birch said she did not see his social worker once at the hotel, and she said there was never any food in his fridge. She says her son never saw anyone check on him either.

"He didn't like being alone, at all," she said. "He felt abandoned, right? Shoved aside again."

She added that Gervais often told her and others around him that he was depressed. 

Like many people, Birch called for the resignation of Stephanie Cadieux, the minister of children and family development.

"If the minister doesn't know what her people are doing she needs to be fired," she said. "The whole system is corrupt. They need to do something."

Premier stands by Cadieux

B.C. Premier Christy Clark is standing by her cabinet minister.

"She's working really hard to make sure the ministry is working the way it's supposed to," said Clark. "She and I see eye-to-eye on this." 

Clark placed the blame with the unnamed Abbotsford agency that put Gervais in a hotel.

"This did not follow policy. It was wrong," said Clark. "It had tragic, tragic outcomes and there are going to be consequences for that."

The province's representative for children and youth, Mary-Ellen Turpel-Lafond, says she's concerned to hear the premier and the minister passing the buck and blaming staff on the ground.

She says Clarke and Cadieux don't seem to have a handle on what is going on in their own ministry.

"This is an issue I've rung the bell on many many times. It's not like it just came up last week. 

Turpel-Lafond's office estimates between 30 and 50 youth in provincial care are placed in hotels every year in B.C.

"We consider this a conservative estimate and that the number could be more," her office said Friday in an emailed statement.