Dauphin GM accused of exploiting foreign workers

The general manager of a Dauphin-area business is facing charges related to a 13-month-long RCMP investigation into human trafficking involving illegal labour practices.

Mounties received multiple tips that a 48-year-old employer from Dauphin was exploiting staff for financial benefit and started investigating the claims on Oct. 16, 2025, RCMP said in a news release on Friday.

RCMP interviewed many individuals over several months and determined the suspect had demanded payment from three temporary foreign workers in exchange for employment at his business, an RCMP spokesperson said in an email.

The suspect insisted the payments ranging from $10,000 to $30,000 be made in cash and instructed the victims to conceal or misrepresent the payments, including when they spoke with immigration officials, RCMP said.

The staff were forced to pay associated immigration costs, which is a violation of Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. Investigators found evidence that the victims were also expected to work overtime without payment.

Individuals who complained would have their work hours reduced and were threatened with having their work permit pulled, which would jeopardize their ability to obtain permanent residency status in Canada, RCMP said.

The RCMP Human Trafficking Unit and Dauphin RCMP arrested the suspect on Nov. 5 without incident.

He was charged under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act with three counts of misrepresenting or withholding material facts relating to immigration applications and three counts of employing a foreign national in a capacity in which the foreign national is not authorized.

The RCMP spokesperson would not disclose the name of the accused or the business at this time because it may identify the victims.

The man was released on an undertaking with conditions not to attend the business or have any contact with the victims, RCMP said.

Mounties continue to investigate the incident and made a referral to Manitoba’s Employment Standards Branch to investigate violations under the Worker Recruitment and Protection Act.

“We believe these incidents are under-reported and not unique to any one community, with victims generally reluctant to come forward for fear it could impact their status in our country,” the spokesperson said.

Dauphin Mayor Steve Sobering said he was aware of the incident and commended the RCMP for investigating.

He said there’s a lot of people across the province who have taken advantage of the system to exploit foreign workers who apply through the visa process looking for employment opportunities.

“We have growth in Dauphin as a result of newcomers to Canada and people moving from other communities into Dauphin,” Sobering said, adding that he wants the city to be a welcoming place for newcomers.

“The fact that that’s a big part of our population growth means that … they’re going to be affected by some of these people that are … just bad operators.”

The accused is scheduled to appear in a Dauphin court room on Jan. 28.

» tadamski@brandonsun.com, with files from Alex Lambert