The Lac-Megantic Runaway Train: Corporate Harms that Destroyed a Town

In the small hours of July 6, 2013, Thomas Harding, a train engineer employed by the Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway Company (MMA), arrived at the hotel room he would be staying at overnight in the Quebec town of Lac-Megantic. Harding was traveling for work and had finished his shift for the night. Before Harding …

The Westray Mine Explosion

The horrible tragedies of the Westray Mine Explosion occurred in Plymouth, Nova Scotia in 1992 (Tucker, 1995). At approximately 5:18am on May 9th, 26 miners lost their lives due to a lethal underground explosion, and this event led many to question who was responsible, and why they did not take the precautions that could have …

Are J.D. Irving’s Environmental Harms Being Properly Regulated?

In October 2007, an effluent spill from the Irving Pulp and Paper Mill located in Saint John, New Brunswick, leaked an estimated 680 000 litres of green liquor into the Wolastoq. Green liquor, a by-product of pulp and paper manufacturing, has been known to pose a serious threat to fish and is considered harmful to …

Gary Sorenson and Milowe Brost Found Guilty of Ponzi Scheme in Canada

In a 2007 CSA Investor Study, 91% of Canadians agreed that “the impact of investment fraud can be just as serious as the impact of crimes like robbery and assault” (CSA, 2007, p. 5). In addition to this, most of these Canadians argued that authorities do not treat fraud as seriously as other crimes, and …

The Corporate Crimes of Irving Pulp and Paper

In 2007, Irving Pulp and Paper was convicted of releasing harmful substances into the Wolastoq (St. John River) and the company was fined over a million dollars for violating the Fisheries Act. Environmental harms committed by powerful companies are not always a prominent topic within the media due to corruption, power, and control but it …

CEO Ask’s Employees to Lie on Timecards or Risk Job Losses

Franklin Holtforster, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and president of Colliers Project, (Ottawa-based division in Canada) asked employees to lie on their timecard, to record an additional eight hours of vacation onto the weekly time sheet, or face the possibility of losing their jobs on April 14th, 2020 (Marchitelli, 2020). This took place during the peak …

B.C. Man’s Lawsuit Over Marketing of Canada Dry Ginger Ale Settles For $200,000

A class-action lawsuit launched by Victor Cardoso against Canada Dry ginger ale has resulted in a $200,000 settlement. Cardoso claimed he was misled by Canada Dry's advertising, stating that the beverage implied it had medicinal health benefits. There are small amounts of ginger derivatives in the soda, however not enough to produce any alleged medicinal …

Case Against Major Tobacco Companies Suspended Again

On September 29th, 2020, the Ontario Supreme Court of Justice ruled to extend an order, "suspending legal proceedings against three major tobacco companies as they pursue mediation with their creditors". This is the third extension the court has granted, the first being last year. This ruling allows these companies to maintain their current business practices …

Airport employee sentenced to 60 days in jail for embezzlement

An employee named Jamie Grabijas at the Windsor Airport from 2013-2015 was charged with embezzlement. Investigators suspect that Grabijas had embezzled $220, 000 however, Grabijas only admitted to $40,000. Grabijas pleaded guilty and is sentenced to 60 days in jail. The crime that Grabijas has committed is a very serious offence and they are only …

Westray Mine Disaster

The Westray mine that exploded in Plymouth, Nova Scotia, on May 9, 1992, killed 26 miners. Many of the miners bodies remain buried there to this day. Following the explosion there were 52 regulation violations brought forward, but were dropped in favour of criminal charges against the two mine managers, including manslaughter and criminal negligence. …