(James Favel helped restart Bear Clan Patrol in 2014. File)
The man who helped resurrect the Bear Clan Patrol Inc. in Winnipeg has left the organization.
James Favel confirmed it happened last week.
The board described it as a “departure” but didn’t provide any details.
“I’m preparing a response,” Favel said when APTN News reached him Saturday.
Favel declined to comment further.
Registered charity
The board appointed lead co-ordinator Kevin Walker as the registered charity’s interim executive director.
“The board of directors thanks outgoing executive director James Favel for his six-year commitment to the organization,” the group said in a statement released late on July 31.
“During his tenure, a number of initiatives have led to the successful expansion of Bear Clan Patrol Inc. into a respected and well-loved organization that has inspired like-minded groups across Canada.”
Favel was one of three people to help resurrect the public safety group, which originally formed in Winnipeg’s North End in 1992, in August 2014 after the murder of Tina Fontaine.
Bear Clan volunteers patrol select neighbourhoods and also distribute food. They provide security upon request, and last summer they joined the Canada-wide search for two B.C. murder suspects in northern Manitoba.
Lead co-ordinator
Walker started out as a volunteer and is now employed as Bear Clan’s lead co-ordinator, the board said in its statement.
“Bear Clan is currently assessing its operational needs and will determine the best course of action moving forward with regard to senior staff leadership,” it added in the statement.
The staff is a mix of paid and unpaid personnel funded via donations and government grants.
