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KELOWNA ROCKETS captain Colton Sissons will be leading a more experienced team for the 2012-13 WHL campaign.
KELOWNA artist Charla Maarschalk has earned positive feedback for her switch from design graphics to photography and painting.
FOUR WEST KELOWNA friends who formed their own band have won a prestigious radio station music contest in Vancouver.
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THURSDAY September 20, 2012 The Central Okanagan’s Best-Read Newspaper www.kelownacapnews.com
▼ WEST KELOWNA
Party leader has local support
Charitable status stripped from a food bank
Wade Paterson
STAFF REPORTER
Bette Ladd is livid with Canada Revenue Agency’s recent decision to revoke Bette’s Single Family and Seniors Food Bank of its tax-exempt, charitable status. According to a letter from the CRA, Ladd was invited to submit documentation showing why the registration should not be revoked last October. As of Aug. 7, the CRA had not received any information from Ladd. Bette’s Single Family and Seniors Food Bank was audited on operations of the organization from Jan. 1, 2008 to Dec. 31, 2009. Ladd was sent a letter on Oct. 31, 2011, indicating several violations of the Income Tax Act. “Given the organization is a food bank, the amounts spent on food are significantly low, representing only 20 per cent of total revenue for 2008 and 23 per cent of total revenue for 2009,” the letter states. “In comparison, the amounts paid to or on behalf of Ms. Ladd far exceed the amounts expended on food.” The letter went on to note expense receipts of the organization for the period of the audit were kept loosely in a box, and unorganized. “Many receipts contained items that would not be typical of a food bank, such as shampoo, dog food and single item purchases.” According to the CRA letter, Bette’s Single Family and Seniors Food Bank also pays for expenses of Ladd’s two motor vehicles—including fuel, repairs and maintenance—as well as cell phone costs. Seventy-one-year-old Ladd said she is appealing the decision. “I like helping people, that’s been my niche for a long time,” said Ladd. “I have a taxation consultant who is working on this as we speak. If we get revoked, then there’s nothing we can do; but I don’t think we’re going to get revoked because we have got everything in place.” Ladd doesn’t hide the fact she has made money as director of the food bank. She said she has earned her share by going above and beyond the director role and taking on tasks that would typically require additional staff.
Alistair Waters ASSISTANT EDITOR
A small group of disgruntled B.C. Conservative Party members who want to oust party leader John Cummins are proving to be a “distraction” for the party as it prepares for next May’s provincial election, says the secretary of the Kelowna-Lake Country Constituency Association. Doug Machan, who is part of a slate of Cummins’ supporters running for provincial positions at this weekend’s annual general meeting in Langley, said he believes a vote being held among party members will nix the idea of a leadership review. “In my opinion (the ouster bid) is being led by a group of people who have discovered they could be out of jobs after the AGM,” said Machan. He said he does not feel they have the support of enough party members to force the leadership review. The bid to find a new leader is being led by party
DOUG FARROW/CAPITAL NEWS
TREE PLANTING EXERCISE…Bianca Corlett gave a demonstration last Saturday at the Chichester Wetlands on Suman Road West for kids on how to plant trees. The TD Friends of the Environment Foundation were on hand at the location to plant 250 trees. Another location in West Kelowna, Quail Lane on Westbank First Nation land, will be the focus of a 125-tree planting project Sept. 26. The foundation’s plan for September is to plant 40,000 trees across Canada with the support of more than 6,500 TD Bank employees and their families across Canada.
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