Changes made at Timmins homeless shelter after former exec stole $20K

While the community of Timmins is reeling after a local woman was charged with stealing more than $400,000 from her employers, the homeless shelter she worked at said it is making some changes.

While the community of Timmins is reeling after a local woman was charged with stealing more than $400,000 from her employers, the homeless shelter she worked at said it is making some changes.

Brian Marks is the board chair of the Living Space -- where 51-year-old Robin Maj is accused of stealing about $20,000 -- as well as the chief administrative officer for the Cochrane District Social Services Administration Board.

He said when the news about the misappropriation of shelter funds came to light and Maj was fired in March 2022, the board of directors put more financial checks and balances in place.

"Things like having purchases approved, making sure you reconcile purchases with receipts after the fact … and that you don’t have the same people involved in handling money and reconciling," Marks said.

He said a reputable, local financial firm will be looking more closely over the shelter’s finances and ensuring that one person does not have full control over purchases and receipts.

While still not disclosing details of why Maj was fired after less than a month as executive director, Marks said acts of fraud can shake people’s trust in an institution.