B.C. says it regrets not announcing appointment of DTES consultant earlier

Questions persist about the provincial government's appointment of a so-called Downtown Eastside "czar."

The B.C. government says it intended to announce the appointment of a consultant on Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, and regrets it didn’t do so earlier.

Michael Bryant, the former CEO of Legal Aid B.C., signed a six-month contract with the province at a cost of $150,000, with an allowance of up to $25,000 in expenses.

That contract runs from February to August.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction, Bryant was hired to “provide advice to government on how to better co-ordinate ministry supports to best support people to feel safer and live healthier lives.”

“His work aims to provide advice on addressing gaps in the system, consulting with people who live and work on the Downtown Eastside,” the statement adds.

‘Way overdue’

Since February, Bryant has spent time meeting with community organizations, such as the Van City Overdose Prevention Society.

Kareem Allam, a volunteer board member with Van City OPS, said Bryant was curious how the group was servicing the community.

“It’s been refreshing to know that there are people that are in the premier’s office that are directly interested in hearing from people that are on the ground – front-line supporters, our clients, our patients, our partners – directly,” he said.

“So it’s been really, really welcomed and it’s been way overdue.”

Allam added Bryant does not have an office at OPS, but that he and others in the community are welcome to use the space if they need to.

“Our doors are open to anybody that is interested in learning more about the neighborhood, learning more about what we do, but also wanting just to make the neighborhood better,” he said.

Questions about mandate

Some in the DTES weren’t aware of Bryan’t appointment, only learning of the news recently through media reports.

Amanda Burrows,executive director with First United, said she hadn’t met with him yet, but has plans to.

“We don’t know much about his role, what the mandate is, the deliverables, the timeline, and what the outcome of it will be,” she said.

“But we do have some hope that if this appointment is directly coming from the premier, and that it’s tasked with asking the actual community what some solutions are, that maybe this appointment can then collect those summaries – and we already know what the solutions are – and bring them directly back to the premier and have some action.”

Burrows said some of those solutions include building more supportive housing and creating access to a safe, regulated drug supply.

“That’s what we need,” she said.

“And if this is another conduit to directly go back to the premier to say, this is what’s working, this is what we need more of, then I’m here for appointments like that.”

Criticism from Conservatives

CTV News contacted Bryant for an interview but he did not respond before deadline.

His contract has been met with pushback, particularly from the B.C. Conservatives, who grilled Premier David Eby Wednesday during Question Period.

Steve Kooner, the MLA for Richmond-Queensborough, criticized the lack of a government announcement.

“The activist community knew Bryant was acting as the Downtown Eastside czar, but the public was left in the dark,” he said.

At a press conference Thursday, Eby said he met Bryant when he worked at Legal Aid B.C. and that he has a lot of confidence in him.

“He’s a guy whose gone through quite a personal journey of recovery and understands law, understands politics, understands the challenges of addiction and recovery,” he said. “It was my recommendation to the minister that’s responsible.”

Bryant also previously served as Ontario’s attorney general.

In 2009, he was charged with criminal negligence causing death and dangerous driving after a cyclist died.Those charges were later withdrawn.