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Hearts and Hands reopens store under new name

The conflict between Habitat for Humanity Canada and its former Prince George affiliate has taken a new turn with the local group resuming operations at the old Restore but under a new name.
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Hearts and Hands for Homes has reopened The Salvage Store on Queensway.

The conflict between Habitat for Humanity Canada and its former Prince George affiliate has taken a new turn with the local group resuming operations at the old Restore but under a new name.

Now known as the Salvage Store, the 220 Queensway location has been open every Tuesday and Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. for roughly three-and-a-half weeks with former long-time Habitat Prince George executive director Jo-Ann Pickering managing the operation.

On Tuesday afternoon, there was a steady stream of traffic in and out of the store which sells used building materials and donated furniture.

"It's amazing, we're doing really well," said Pickering. "The donations are coming in and people are more than willing to drop them off for us, they're just appalled at what they (Habitat Canada) have done to us."

In July, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Neena Sharma ordered Hearts and Hands to hand over all its assets, including the ReStore, to the national organization.

Sharma found Habitat Canada was entitled to disaffiliate the local group because it failed to live up to standards the national organization had in place regarding governance and operations.

Habitat Canada subsequently reopened the ReStore in late September, but only long enough to hold a clearance sale, before closing it down again.

Pickering said the move contravened a judge's order to keep the store open at least until Hearts and Hands' appeal of Sharma's decision is completed.

"When we heard they were not supposed to do that, (close the store) I went and had the locks changed back," Pickering said.

In a statement, Habitat Canada national director of affiliate relations Cathy Borowec said the store was closed because keeping it open was not "economically viable" for a variety of reasons including the costs of fixing a number of safety issues and making general repairs as well as its location and building layout.

But Pickering said the building passed a fire inspection this summer.

Borowec said with Hearts and Hands' latest action, further legal proceedings will be necessary.

Even though the property was not formally transferred to the national organization, Borowec said Sharma declared the store to be an asset of Habitat Canada and Hearts and Hands has "no legal right" to take over the store.

"Our lawyers are presently preparing an application for contempt of court, and will also now be seeking an order that the store property be transferred to Habitat Canada so that we can control the sale of the property," Borowec said.

Habitat Canada is still waiting for full financial disclosure from Hearts and Hands and the transfer of other assets still in their possession, Borowec added.

"We deeply regret that it is necessary to continue with legal proceedings involving Hearts and Hands," Borowec said. "While this dispute has been going on, we have heard from community members about the continued need for our Habitat program in Prince George."

The non-profit organization's primary focus is to build houses for deserving families who otherwise cannot afford one. Seven have been built in Prince George under the Habitat brand.

Borowec said Habitat Canada plans to reopen the ReStore at a new location as soon as the current property can be sold and legal proceedings with Hearts and Hands are resolved.

Pickering continues to maintain that Habitat Prince George did indeed live up to Habitat Canada's standards and contends the ouster is part of a plan to amalgamate Prince George with its Kamloops and Kelowna affiliates.

Sharma disagreed with that assessment, noting a proposal from a third party to regionalize operations failed to make it into a draft strategic plan distributed to affiliates.

He said Hearts and Hands claim was based on "an unfortunate defensive and suspicious mentality" that was prevalent through other aspects of its testimony, "especially in how they responded to each attempt by the plaintiff to bring (Habitat Prince George) into good standing."

"I find the accusation about amalgamation to be highly inappropriate; it should not have been made on such flimsy grounds," Sharma added.

Pickering said Hearts and Hands has complied with a recent Appeals Court order to post $8,000 as security to continue the appeal and a hearing will be held in mid-February.