In central Windsor, Ontario, Sue Pare showcases a crack in her kitchen floor that remains unfixed despite a work order she submitted four years ago. Pare, a long-term resident of 35 years, recalls a time when timely repairs were common practice. However, she now faces maintenance delays due to financial constraints within the management of her wheelchair-accessible unit and various other properties overseen by the Labour Sponsored Community Development Group (LSCDG).
Recent court documents obtained by CBC News reveal allegations of financial misconduct amounting to $3 million by the former executive director of LSCDG, Anna Angelidis, and her two supervised administrators, Jim and Danny, who are her sons. The accusations include unauthorized pay raises totaling $500,000, payments of $1.7 million to a family member’s company for unnecessary or incomplete work, and projects billed to the non-profit but executed at the family’s personal residences.
Following an internal investigation, all three members of the Angelidis family were terminated in an emergency meeting last October. Subsequently, they filed wrongful dismissal lawsuits seeking damages exceeding $735,000. In response, LSCDG countered with claims for at least $3 million in damages, warning of a potential increase as the probe progresses.
Despite the upheaval, Windsor’s municipal funding body initiated a review of LSCDG operations in 2022, uncovering operational concerns and undisclosed financial dealings. However, communication breakdowns prevented critical information from reaching the board of directors, leading to further scrutiny of Anna’s actions during her decades-long tenure at the organization.
The investigation also exposed irregularities in vendor contracts, with one family member’s company receiving nearly $1.8 million for questionable services rendered without proper procurement procedures. These revelations have prompted the LSCDG board to institute enhanced oversight measures and collaborate closely with stakeholders to prevent future malfeasance.
In light of recent improvements and increased transparency efforts, residents like Sue Pare remain cautiously optimistic about the organization’s ability to rectify past issues and ensure a better living environment for all tenants.