Contract workers found on the job without work permits in Lake Louise
CBC
Dozens of contract workers employed through a third party agency and working in Lake Louise have been ordered to depart the country after the Canadian Border Services Agency found they were working in Canada without the proper documentation.
Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers were in Lake Louise on Tuesday. Officers were there as part of an ongoing Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and Criminal Code of Canada Investigation.
According to Anastasia Martin-Stilwell, a spokeswoman with Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Canada's Western Mountain Region, CBSA interviewed 32 contract employees who worked in housekeeping, stewarding, culinary and residence divisions.
"It was determined that a total of 31 individuals unknowingly had improper employment documentation including work permits and appropriate visa," wrote Martin-Stilwell in an emailed statement to CBC News.
"The contract workers were employed, and paid, by a third-party staffing provider, One Team. Hotels use third-party staffing agencies to assist with challenges related to labour shortages."
Martin-Stilwell wrote Chateau Lake Louise did its due diligence of One Team's operations and was guaranteed the contracted company would be responsible for making sure workers had proper documentation, were hired properly and had the ability to legally work in Canada.
Across three of Fairmont's hotels in Alberta — Chateau Lake Louise, Banff Springs and Jasper Park Lodge — there were a total of 105 One Team contract workers.
"After consultation with CBSA, the RCMP and internal legal counsel, we no longer have contracts with One Team, resulting in the immediate end to any contracted shifts given to the workers," Martin-Stilwell said.
The full scale of this investigation, outside of the Fairmont chain, hasn't been made public by CBSA.
"As this is an ongoing investigation, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time," read a statement from Rebecca Purdy, a spokesperson for CBSA.
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