Main Street Project executive parts ways with homeless shelter

The executive director for one of Winnipeg's largest homeless shelters is no longer with the organization, the board chair confirms.

Rick Lees parted ways with Main Street Project this week after more than four years with the charitable organization that works with the city's most vulnerable populations.

"There are some different directions the new board wants to go, and some of those ideas may not be totally coincident with the vision of the current executive director," said Vince Warden, chair of Main Street Project's board of directors.

"So a decision was made that now is a good time to start afresh with a new executive director and that search will be underway very soon."

When reached by text message on Saturday, Lees said he was vacationing with his family in Northern Ontario and would speak to media about his departure next week.

Main Street Project is also the target of an investigation by the province's auditor general, but Deputy Auditor General Tyson Shtykalo said he was not able to provide additional details while the investigation is ongoing.

Warden says Lees' departure and the audit investigation are not related.

Warden said he is proud of the work that has been done but said it's time for new ideas. He said an interim executive director will be appointed while they look for Lees' replacement.

"I can't emphasize enough that it has absolutely nothing to do with the audit that's underway," he said.

"This has really nothing to do with any financial impropriety at Main Street Project."

Audit underway for a year

He said the audit is the result of a whistleblower incident that happened about a year ago, and Main Street Project did their own external audit investigation that found the allegations were unfounded.

But that complaint was also forwarded to the Winnipeg regional Health Authority, Warden says, which triggered the auditor general's involvement.

"It probably would have been completed by now but it has taken an extended period of time, largely because of COVID, and we're hoping that it'll be cleared very soon," said Warden.

He also said the board was aware of Lees' past termination from other executive positions, one due to allegations of financial impropriety, but that it was not enough to prevent Lees from being hired by Main Street Project.

"We were very aware of that. And we did our own investigation before Rick was appointed to this position," said Warden.

"There wasn't sufficient substance to those allegations to not hire Rick into the position. And as it turns out, it was an exceptionally good hire for Main Street Project for the time that he was there."

"He has done tremendous work and we're very grateful for that."

Role to be filled in the interim

Lees has been the face of the organization for the past few years, advocating for a supervised consumption site in order to address the city's meth crisis as well as acquiring additional space to expand services. He also sat on the city's illicit drug task force last year.

Warden said an interim executive director will be appointed while they look for Lees' replacement. He said Main Street Project will be reaching out to donors to get them informed going forward.

Warden said the changes to Lees role didn't come on suddenly and had been building for over the last couple months. He said changes during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as expansions going on "resulted in very significant stress on the organization." 

Warden said the board appreciates all that Lees had done for the organization over his time there.

"As much as we appreciate all the hard work that's been done, the good work that's been done, it is time for a change in direction."