Moose Jaw Times-Herald: Mayor snubbed by Sask. Party

VVC staff, city not invited to announcement and groundbreaking

(From left) Saskatchewan Association for Community Living President Gloria Mahussier, Minister of Social Services June Draude and Valley View Centre (VVC) Family Group Co-Chair June Avivi turn sod for a new government-operated residence at a provincial government press conference on Monday. Draude also announced the government accepted all 14 recommendations of the VVC Transition Steering Committee.
Times-Herald photo by Lisa Goudy

By Lisa Goudy


The mayor of Moose Jaw and Valley View Centre (VVC) staff weren’t invited to the provincial government’s announcement regarding the future of VVC residents.

“I received a phone call from the Minister (of Social Services) on Thursday so we talked about it then, but I never did receive the advisory or an invite to be there,” said Mayor Deb Higgins. “(I heard) in the community that there was some type of an announcement and people were asking me what it was … As mayor of the City of Moose Jaw I find a number of troubling issues coming out of (Monday’s) announcement by the provincial government.”

On Monday the provincial government held a press conference to announce its acceptance of all 14 of the VVC Transition Steering Committee’s recommendations.

June Draude, social services minister, June Avivi, VVC family group co-chair and Gloria Mahussier, president of the Saskatchewan Association for Community Living (SACL) broke ground following the announcement at the site of a new provincially-operated home for VVC residents to transition to future homes.

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