High-profile Okanagan winemaker charged in migrant hot tub sexual assault scandal
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Randhir 'Randy' Toor, a prominent figure in British Columbia's wine country, has been formally charged with sexual assault against an undocumented migrant farm worker.The charge arises from an alleged incident dating back to December 2023 and brings renewed attention to the vulnerability of migrant workers in Canada's agricultural industries.Toor, who co-owned Desert Hills Estate Winery (formerly Toor Vineyards ), makes his first court appearance this week.The alleged assault happened at a cabin on Mount Baldy, where Toor is said to have hosted a group of foreign workers. According to a warrant application, the woman, picked up from Osoyoos and taken to the cabin. dined, drank, and used the hot tub with others before waking up with injuries and hazy memories of an assault.The same day, her friends helped get her to a sexual assault kit at Penticton Regional Hospital. RCMP later searched Toor's Mount Baldy cabin for evidence. Toor will appear in court again in August as all charges remain untested in court.Raúl Gatica of Dignidad Migrante Society, an advocacy group for farm and undocumented workers, underscored the power imbalance:'Undocumented workers are more vulnerable than anyone because there is no one to come help them to provide them support.'He urged the government and police to step up education and support for this community. "There is no specific program to help educate the workers against the fear that they have," he added.This case isn't Toor's first clash with authorities. Desert Hills Estate Winery was fined CAD 16,000 for breaching temporary foreign worker rules, possibly still unpaid in early 2023.Toor Vineyards (same address, same ownership) was slapped with a CAD 118,000 fine in December 2024 and permanently banned from hiring temporary foreign workers after inspectors found mismatches in wages and working conditions and failure to present proper documentation.Provinces across Canada have raised concerns over such labor programs. Toor Vineyards was convicted of seven counts under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act related to misrepresentation—part of a broader abuse-ridden 'immigration fraud scheme' in BC's wine region.Migrant farmworkers are vital to Canada's agriculture, yet by working without documentation or in temporary programs, many fear speaking out. When violations involve businesses of local renown, silence is often cheaper than accountability. With Toor's next appearance set for August, advocacy groups are pushing for stronger protections.
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