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Battle brewing over recent activities at the North Bay Food Bank

On Tuesday, March 6th, members of the North Bay Food Bank held their Annual General Meeting where a new board was voted in, which includes the founder of the North Bay Food Bank Marty Martinello and one of its longtime directors Dick Dinnes, and form

On Tuesday, March 6th, members of the North Bay Food Bank held the Annual General Meeting where a new board was voted in. It includes the founder of the North Bay Food Bank Marty Martinello, but one of its longtime directors Dick Dinnes, and former board chair North Bay Food Bank was left out.

On Wednesday following the AGM members of the new board arrived at the food bank building and terminated Executive Director Ellen White.

“They showed up and told me I needed to sign a letter,” White told BayToday in a chance meeting Friday morning.

She says when she refused to sign the letter she was told to leave the premises.

She yielded and left, promptly followed by all the volunteers present at the time.

Later Friday, White forwarded a news release for Joe Tranter (listing him as board member/chair) noting that they had financial questions surrounding multiple bank accounts in various names related to the Food Bank, the giving of donation monies to a local store, a trillium grant for the Coach4Food program and other irregularities and decided to do the right thing.

“The Executive Director and new Chair decided to do the right thing. After asking three members of this “new” Board for answers and never really getting any, they decided to request a forensic audit.”
- News Release

In reaction to the takeover Tranter, White and volunteers of the North Bay Soup Kitchen Inc., the legal name of the food bank, have retained lawyer Jonathan Ricci to fight the takeover.

“Sometimes, you have to battle for truth and justice. These matters will be working their way through the Courts in the very near future, and we will make sure that the public is informed of the events that unfold.”
- News Release

The new food bank board have referred all questions to their lawyer Michael Birnie.