A member of the Museum of the Cariboo Chilcotin Society was ordered to reimburse the society for $25 in filing fees after the Civil Resolution Tribunal (CRT) dismissed her claim on Monday, Feb. 10.
Laura Zimmerman had accused the board of failing to fulfill its fiduciary duty to protect and care for the museum’s collection. She asked the CRT to order a special general meeting after the society did not hear or respond to member complaints.
The crux of Zimmerman’s complaint, CRT member Maria Montgomery wrote, was that the society did not adhere to its obligation to manage the museum’s collection and did not follow the Societies Act section that requires directors to act honestly and in good faith with a view to the best interests of the society.
“She notes that its collection includes faded tags and torn tarps. She provided photos of wood stoves, saws, metal equipment, as well as many other items,” Montgomery wrote. “Some items are covered by ripped tarps and the metal equipment shows rust.”
Montgomery said the society admitted storage of the items is not ideal, but is trying to address the issue after funding shortfalls in 2022 and 2023. It is applying for grants to fund a covered storage area and is discussing storage options with the City of Williams Lake.
“The applicant does not dispute that the society has taken these steps and does not suggest what the other steps the society should take, given the state of its finances,” Montgomery wrote. “There is no indication that the society has refused to take action to conserve the artifacts. So, I dismiss this part of the applicant’s claim.”
Zimmerman did not provide evidence of complaints to the society and neither party provided a copy of the society’s complaints protocol.
Since Zimmerman did not prove her claims, Montgomery said there was no need to consider her request to order a special general meeting. She noted that Zimmerman has the option, under the “requisition of general meeting” section of the Societies Act, to petition the directors to call a general meeting.
The museum is home of the BC Cowboy Hall of Fame and promotes itself as the only facility in BC that focuses on ranching and rodeo.
