PITT MEADOWS, BC – In response to ongoing concerns raised by the community, City Council approved the formation of a Select Committee to review the history of the Pitt Meadows Community Foundation (PMCF) and its current status with the goal of restoring the Foundation to its former positive standing.
In April 2022, a committee comprised of Mayor Dingwall, Councillor Meachen and Chief Administrative Officer Roberts was formed. The committee:
- Obtained legal counsel in May 2022.
- Requested and received financial statements from the PMCF. Based on review of the statements, it appears the PMCF has approximately $150,000 in cash deposits.
- Requested but have not received the register of members, minutes of meetings, and AGMs, along with a list of student bursaries, donations, and other charitable expenditures from the PMCF.
- Discovered that, on March 14, 2020, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) revoked the PMCF’s charitable status for failure to file their 2018 annual information return. As a result, the PMCF is:
- Unable to issue official donation receipts;
- No longer tax-exempt;
- Has to pay a failure-to-file penalty; and
- May be required to pay a revocation tax to CRA, which generally is equal to 100 percent of the net asset value, jeopardizing the remaining cash deposits.
As a result of the Select Committee’s work, which was completed in September 2022, Council passed a unanimous motion to submit a letter to the Province of British Columbia, with notice to the CRA, requesting an investigation and intervention under s. 213 of the BC Societies Act.
The ultimate goal of City Council is to restore the PMCF to its former status. This would include a new and active volunteer board of directors comprised of community members and the restoration of PMCF to charitable status. In addition, to urge the CRA to forego any revocation tax to ensure that the monies raised in Pitt Meadows can go back into the community for many years to come.
History of the PMCF
The PMCF was founded in 1983. Over the years, the Foundation has raised money from the community to provide important services like student bursaries (including two at Pitt Meadows Secondary School) and community grants, as well as supported local events and activities, often in collaboration with the City.
On May 16, 2017, with significant controversy, a new board of directors was elected, comprised of a majority of the 2014-2018 City Council along with two councillors’ spouses and a friend. Since the board was elected, in Council’s view, the failure of the PMCF to meet its mandate has been a significant source of concern for the community.
This communication was written and provided by the Select Committee.
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For more information please contact:
communications@pittmeadows.ca