ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½

Statement re: contract with Mark Brand Inc.

VANCOUVER - ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ (“ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½”) filed action against Mark Brand Inc. (“Brand”) on September 11, 2015 in B.C. Supreme Court to enforce the terms of a written contract for the construction by Brand of a kitchen facility located in the Save on Meats store on Hastings Street. Pursuant to the contract, ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ advanced $300,000 to Brand and a further $100,000 was provided by the City of Vancouver. The kitchen facility was to be used to train ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ students and also to serve community needs by, among other things, making the facility available to non-profit and community food production groups.

The contract provided that Brand would oversee the renovations, ensure the required equipment was purchased, provide a full accounting of how the ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ funds were spent, maintain a separate bank account, provide financial statements and ensure that the landlord had no claim to the equipment that was purchased with ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ funds. Although Brand constructed a kitchen, he has failed despite repeated demands to provide an accounting for the use of ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½’s funds, the kitchen is missing significant pieces of equipment, Brand has failed to open a separate bank account, it has refused to provide financial statements, and has a lease in which all of the kitchen equipment is subject to seizure by the landlord.

ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ was compelled to bring its action after repeated failure by Brand to live up to its obligations and after giving notice to Brand that a lawsuit would be forthcoming if it did not live up to its contractual obligations. ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ has made a significant investment in the kitchen and has a responsibility to ensure that its funds are properly accounted for and that its contractors live up to their obligations. 

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Media can contact:

Karen Wilson
Interim Director, Marketing and Communications
ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½
T: 604.871.7000, ext. 7429
E: kwilson@vcc.ca