Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

Rankin Inlet (Jan 12/00) - Despite a Rankin Inlet group home being given a clean bill of health following an investigation into charges of abuse at the facility, a former employee is not happy with the outcome.

Bob Vibert, the facility's former programs manager, says it's only a matter of time before the subject of abuse surfaces again at the group home.

Vibert was employed at the group home for three months, starting in July 1999, before leaving amid a storm of controversy in October.

He lodged a formal complaint containing 15 separate incidents with Dr. Keith Best, CEO of the Keewatin Regional Health Board.

Best's investigation last December found no evidence to support the claims, but Vibert says he is not surprised.

"It seemed to me Keith (Dr. Best) prejudiced his own investigation when you look at his public remarks on this," says Vibert.

"He said at the very beginning he perceived me as being disgruntled, he had full confidence in the team, he felt I was unhappy in Rankin, those types of remarks."

Although disappointed with the outcome, Vibert says he has a clear conscience concerning the affair.

He says he did his best to draw attention to a bad situation.

"I think you're going to hear more about it. This subject will come up again. It's just a matter of time.

"Mark my words. Somebody else will come to him (Best) with another complaint in the future."

Although Best's ruling brought closure to the whole issue for Vibert, who currently resides in Calgary, he has forwarded his concerns.

"I contacted my MP, Preston Manning, and raised the issue through his office because money does come from Ottawa.

"That's all I can do at this point. I've done everything I can to help the situation."

The experience left a bad taste in Vibert's mouth.

He says one lesson he's learned from the incident is that you have check out jobs posted on the Internet and make sure they're a proper fit before accepting a position.

"I'll be the first to say if I'd done my homework on the job listing first, this whole incident wouldn't have happened.

"That being said, if the general manager had been responsive to me in the beginning, this whole thing wouldn't have happened.

"My concerns kept being ignored and, as a result, I had to go to outside resources."