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Since September of 2010, I have been writing to Mayor Gregor Robertson to inquire about campaign finance from several "investment firms" and P.R. companies that are heavily funded by a registered charity, Tides Canada Foundation, and its largest donor, the Endswell Foundation.
Today, months later, I received a response from Ian Baillie, the Executive Director of Vision Vancouver. In an e-mail, Mr. Bailie writes:
"Dear Ms Krause,
I wanted to address some questions you have raised online about donations to Vision Vancouver. Specifically, you have asked about the company Interdependent Investments and its donations to Vision.
Interdependent Investments is a Vancouver based company that provides investment, real estate and project management support to private businesses, charities, and non-profits. My understanding is that it has been operating for over 15 years. Joel Solomon is the principal of the company and has been a supporter of Vision Vancouver since its inception.
As for your questions about charitable donations, Vision Vancouver does not receive money from charitable sources, and has said so publicly in the past. As well, our donations were disclosed several months ago. Vision Vancouver continues to go above and beyond the requirements for reporting and we are the only Vancouver municipal political party to file a comprehensive disclosure in addition to the 2008 election disclosure.
Thanks for your interest.
Sincerely,
Ian Baillie, Executive Director
Vision Vancouver"
* * *
Mr. Baillie says, "Vision Vancouver does not receive money from charitable sources." No surprises there. I've never suggested that Vision Vancouver was paid directly by a charity; that would be too obvious. My question is about whether Vision Vancouver indirectly received money from Tides Canada and the Endswell Foundation, money that was passed first through one of a series of "investment firms" and P.R. companies that are, for lack of a better term, a front.
What Mr. Baillie does not mention is that until very recently, one of the long-time officers of Interdependent Investments Ltd., was Martha Burton, the treasurer of Vision Vancouver. Ms. Burton is also the vice-president of the Endswell Foundation and a sr. advisor to Tides Canada.
As far as I can tell, Ms. Burton's name was removed from the list of directors of Interdependent Investments Ltd., perhaps as of April 13, 2011 - just one week after I posted an open letter to Mayor Robertson in which I specifically asked Who is Interdependent Investments Ltd.?
The important question that Mr. Baillie does not answer is this: Does Interdependent Investments Ltd. have any sources of revenue other than the Endswell Foundation? If not, then it follows that whatever financial contributions Interdependent Investments Ltd. made to Vision Vancouver, must have originated from the Endswell charity.
Since 1997, the Endswell Foundation has paid at least $1.4 million to Interdependent Investments Ltd. Of that, $703,409 was paid since 2007.
The $11.4 Million Dollar Question
I also have questions about how Endswell spent $11.4 million over the years since 2003 when Endswell was simply granting 99 percent of its funds to Tides Canada. This is what I have referred to as the $11.4 million dollar question. During the years when Endswell didn't make a single grant to any organization other than Tides Canada, what were the staff doing?
Considering that the senior leadership at Endswell and at Tides Canada are the same people, including the treasurer - I would have thought that Endswell could grant $8.7 million to Tides Canada without spending $11.4 million in the process.
I also have questions about why overhead at Endswell increased so dramatically, especially considering that Endswell wasn't making any grants to any organizations other than Tides Canada.
Vivian,thanks for all you do,I dont understand how whats going on could be legal,why is this not being investigated?On second thought maybe I shouldnt thank you cause every time I read this stuff a vein starts to pop out on my forehead.Keep at it and hopefully people will wake up.Thanks.
Posted by: gman | 05/27/2011 at 09:46 PM
Vivian,thanks for all you do,I do not comprehend how what is going on could be lawful,why is this not being investigated?On second believed maybe I should not thank you cause whenever I study this products a problematic vein begins to pop out on my temple.Keep at it and hopefully individuals will awaken.Thanks.
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