The move comes after the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and RCMP investigated 32 contract workers who had been hired by a third-party recruiter called One Team. Of these workers, only one had proper employment documentation. All of the affected employees worked in housekeeping, management, culinary and hospitality departments at the hotel, Anastasia Martin-Stillwell, a spokeswoman for Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, said in an email. He adds that all foreign workers had no idea their permits and visas were invalid. “We are very disappointed in One Team’s operations and its negligent hiring practices,” said Martin-Stillwell. “Decisions made by One Team have real, consequential impacts on its contract workers. We recognize that this is an incredibly difficult time for everyone involved.” He says Chateau Lake Louise had used the company to address “labor shortages” at the hotel, and the facility also completed “due diligence” on One Team before signing a contract with them. When the CBSA and RCMP made their discoveries, Martin-Stillwell says Fairmont immediately canceled its contract with the recruiting agency, ending all contract shifts for workers at three of the chain’s hotels: Chateau Lake Louise, Banff Springs and Jasper Park Lodge. “There were a total of 105 One Team contractors across all three locations,” he said. While workers have been told to leave the country, Fairmont is working to support contract workers, including offering accommodation, food and transportation to Calgary or Edmonton as needed. Any of the employees who have proper permits and visas will have the opportunity to seek employment on their own at any of the Fairmont hotels. Martin-Stillwell says the company continues to work with the CBSA and RCMP and will “conduct an internal audit” of all its hotels across Canada to ensure all foreign workers have the proper documentation.
