In-house production, dubious ticket advertising, questionable transparency… Bryan Perro’s management at the helm of Culture Shawinigan may have been highlighted in the last few hours, but what we learn from the testimonies collected is that it has been worrying since he left office before 8 years.
An employee, whose identity is being protected, worked in the organization’s administration for 12 years under two different CEOs. She saw that the tone had changed drastically and that it was no longer necessary to contradict the decisions: now those of Bryan Perro.
“He wanted to control everything, and the people who were a little more resistant or didn’t necessarily accept his way of doing things were oppressed. We all fell one by one,” she admitted.
Mr. Perro has thoroughly cleaned up the old guard. Those who were in office then have some memories of his leadership and feel the same unease as they did eight years ago.
“With Bryan, I was sometimes aware of where [il ne détournait pas nécessairement], but allocate the amounts to other things or thwart access to the amounts without reference to what they were originally intended for. It went against my values,” the employee added.
The former manager of the restaurant did not want to play the role of mother-in-law in this matter, but still admitted that she had a lot of questions about the new type of management.
“A deficit is increased by wrong decisions. “It is of course made worse by exceptional situations, by a lack of income or ambitions for which we do not have the means,” explained Louise Martin.
The analysis promised by an external company will be able to confirm where this huge budget hole comes from.
“It is not usual for the broadcasting companies to which we belong, at least in organization-like projects, for such significant deficits to accumulate. This also raises the whole question of transparency,” interjected the general director of the RIDEAU Association, Julie-Anne Richard.
“Did the CA know about it but didn’t know about it at the time? But you know, she’s the kind of person who could give you the answers so that in the end you follow her thoughts and her vision,” the former employee added.
“I left it in good financial condition. Our goal as a nonprofit organization and performing arts organizer is not to make a profit, but rather to achieve a balanced budget. “I just hope that everyone takes responsibility in this situation and that Culture Shawinigan will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2024, as it should,” the former general director clarified, hoping that the current deficit may not be just the tip of the iceberg.
The Ministry of Culture, in turn, confirmed that it had already identified gaps in reporting through an audit in 2021. This made it possible to prove that the organization’s expenses were ultimately not eligible for funding.