Blame-shifting bashed

An aboriginal agency that was caring for a foster teen who died at a British Columbia hotel says the province appears to be shifting blame for political reasons.

Premier Christy Clark accused the agency of making a "real mistake" when it didn't tell the Children's Ministry that 18-year-old Alex Gervais was staying alone in a hotel.

The Fraser Valley Aboriginal Children and Family Services Society said Tuesday the ministry can't distance itself from systemic issues that lead to devastating outcomes such as Gervais's death.

"This is a time when it is necessary for the entire system to step forward and accept accountability for the historical and current challenges that fail the children, youth and families," the agency said in a statement.

"Shifting focus solely to the delegated agency appears to be a political move and is not what is needed at this time. What we need now — more than ever — is leadership, not politics."

Gervais fell from a fourth-floor window of an Abbotsford hotel on Sept. 18. Children's representative Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond has said she believes the young aboriginal man killed himself.

Children's Minister Stephanie Cadieux has dismissed demands from the Opposition NDP that she resign, saying legislation prevents her from getting involved in day-to-day decisions made by staff and that an investigation is underway.

The ministry requires agencies to notify it when foster children are staying in hotels, something the premier said was not done in this case.

The Fraser Valley society didn't directly address Clark's allegation in its statement, but said the ministry must work with it to ensure such a tragedy never happens again. The plan must include proper residential placements for youth who need extensive support, a strong Aboriginal healing focus and trained First Nations staff, it said.

Everyone at the agency is "deeply saddened" by Gervais's death, it added, and the team will participate in any investigations launched by the ministry, the children's representative or the coroner.

The board of directors and leadership has met with the local Sto:lo First Nation to brief them on details of the tragedy.

Between November 2014 and September 2015, there were 23 reported instances of children staying in a hotel with an average stay of five days, according to the ministry.

The Fraser Valley society, formerly called Xyolhemeylh, is one of several agencies in B.C. authorized to provide child protection services through an agreement with the province.

The agency has faced controversy in the past, including in 2002 when two-year-old Chassidy Whitford was killed by her father while under its protection. A provincial review found the agency allowed the girl to continue living with the man despite unexplained injuries.