Woman files lawsuit against Frank Stronach, Magna over alleged 1986 sexual assault
In a statement of claim filed in June, Jane Boon alleges Stronach sexually assaulted her at a company guest house in December 1986 after plying her with alcohol during a corporate party at a Toronto restaurant he owned.
She also alleges Magna knew Stronach, who was the company's controlling shareholder and director at the time, posed a risk to female students receiving sponsorship and took no steps to warn or protect her or others like her.
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The allegations have not been tested in court and neither Stronach nor Magna have filed a statement of defence at this time.
Stronach's civil lawyer, Sarit Batner, says he 'strenuously denies the allegations and will vigorously defend this lawsuit.' Magna declined to comment, citing the ongoing legal claim.
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The 92-year-old tycoon was charged last year with 18 counts – including sexual assault and indecent assault – related to 13 complainants, with some allegations dating back to the 1970s.
He's expected to face trial on 12 of the counts in Toronto early next year, and has pleaded not guilty in that case. Another trial is set to take place later in Newmarket on the remaining counts.
Stronach has denied all allegations against him.
Boon is not among the complainants in the criminal cases, none of whom can be identified due to a standard publication ban.
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View image in full screen An illustration of Venture's Ontario campus located near Barrie, Ontario. Amanda Griffin / Global News Venture's Ontario campus, which appears to be the company's largest, has come under repeated scrutiny. In 2020, regional children's aid agency Simcoe Muskoka Family Connexions (SMFC) investigated Venture, for reasons the agency would not disclose, alleging it was 'causing risk of emotional harm to [youth].' Of the 13 youth interviewed in the investigation, five were verified by SMFC to be at risk of emotional harm. As a result, the agency issued 26 recommendations to Venture, which included making sure the company obtains youth's informed consent, enhancing its program to allow social interaction and community engagement and providing adequate training to its host parents. An SMFC spokesperson would not answer specific questions due to privacy concerns, but acknowledged 'any verification of risk of emotional harm is concerning.' 'I started to realize, 'I can't talk to people anymore. I can't express my emotions. I don't really feel anything.'' Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I started to realize, 'I can't talk to people anymore. I can't express my emotions. I don't really feel anything.'" Months later, the campus was referred to the MCCSS Investigations and Enforcement Unit, which identifies high-risk residential sites, due to a 'high amount of non-compliances' and concerns over its licensing, according to Ministry documents. Issues were raised in various areas, including cameras in homes, the removal of children's shoes, host parents yelling at children, and youth being prevented from sharing personal information with one another. 'These practices may be viewed as unreasonable and contrary to the child's rights,' the report said. The company spent 15 months under provincial review. MCCSS would not answer any questions about this review or its outcome. In January this year, SMFC again visited the Ontario campus after receiving a 'referral for concerns.' The overarching themes, according to email correspondence obtained by Global News, included basic rights, children's identities being respected, licensing and an 'overly restrictive program.' Chris Clarke, spokesman for Michael Parsa, Minister of Children, Community and Social Services, declined to answer specific questions about the MCCSS reports but provided a statement about the government's improvements to the child welfare system. Advertisement Global News spoke to 16 youth who attended Venture's Ontario campus, the location of which Global is not identifying because it houses minors. Thirteen of them said that rules were so stringent that their access to the bathroom was restricted, and some urinated themselves as a result. A girl spoke of soaking her pants with blood because she was menstruating and wasn't allowed to visit the washroom. In its 2020 investigation, the SMFC found that the entire class could lose their lunch or free time for the same length of time a youth used the washroom, outside of prescribed times. Only three say they received one-on-one weekly therapy that they were promised. Fifteen say their mental health worsened after leaving the program. View image in full screen Grace McDonald, 22, attended Venture Academy's Ontario campus for nine months starting in 2019. Courtesy Grace McDonald 'I've had some long-lasting negative effects from the program, and I think the reason I didn't realize that at first is because I did come out like a complete 180 of the person I was,' says Grace McDonald, who attended the campus in 2019 while suffering from depression. 'My first reaction [was] my parents' first reaction as well. 'Oh my God, the program helped so much. That's great.' And then I started to realize, 'I can't talk to people anymore. I can't express my emotions. I don't really feel anything.'' 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View image in full screen Informed consent a 'human rights issue' Venture's welcome package document outlines strict rules — contact with families restricted to letters and pre-scheduled phone calls, uniforms, chaperoned outings — are laid out between inspirational buzzwords — live, inspire, create! — and a Walt Disney quote about the virtues of 'moving forward.' The document stipulates that youth have the right to 'give informed consent for service,' an obligation of treatment for a Canadian of any age with capacity. However, the Venture agreement forms reviewed by Global News were only signed by guardians, which include authorizations for program aspects such as assessment, medical examinations, and searches. That's also despite the fact that when a child turns 16, they can legally withdraw from parental control in many provinces, including Ontario, Alberta, and B.C. In a 2024 report, MCCSS labelled Venture's 2022 welcome package 'severely deficient' and not compliant with the Child, Youth and Family Services Act, because it 'fails to outline a child's rights.' That report stated that Venture pledged to add 'revised rights and responsibilities' to the welcome package, and it would be 'reviewed at all new admissions.' But in 2025, inspectors noted that 'there was no evidence that the licensee considered any information or supports to help the youth exercise their rights.' Advertisement That's where experts say Venture may be breaching the law. 'It's not simply a matter of, 'You have a legal right to be informed of treatment that you are receiving.' It's also a human rights issue,' says Mary Birdsell. 'You have to be informed of what the treatment is, what it's meant to do… how long they might be there.' View image in full screen Isabelle Lebrun, 22, looks through documents from her time at Venture Academy. She spent 545 days at Venture's Ontario location and says she left traumatized. Jeffrey Stephen / Global News Isabelle Lebrun, who spent 18 months at Venture Academy, says she tried to refuse to consent to treatment and did not sign her release of information form for about a year, but regardless, remained enrolled. These days, Lebrun speaks with a self-assured confidence of her time there, her face framed by glossy brown hair and acetate glasses. 'I had a lot of stuff happen to me when I was a kid, and nothing, nothing is worse than… the stuff that I went through at [Venture],' she says, describing the isolation and punishments. Letters home were often withheld, youth told Global News — they believe it was because they were critical of the program. Three staff confirmed Venture employees read teens' letters. They say phone calls were also monitored and restricted. Youth raised concerns about a lack of private communication to ministry officials in 2022, 2024 and 2025, documents confirm. '[…] Communication is treated as a privilege earned based on behaviour, rather than a right,' the 2024 report says, before stating that Venture had not adequately provided evidence of how they ensure letters are not examined. Burchill-McDonald says she was told not to believe any negative feedback from her daughter about the program, and that the teens were 'all manipulative' and it was a 'tactic that they all use' so they get sent home. Research has linked punishment-based programs for youth, such as boot camps, with lasting psychological harm, including long-term difficulties with trust, self-esteem, anger management and trauma symptoms that persist into adulthood. View image in full screen Landen Brennan, 18, who attended the Ontario campus in 2023, said after leaving Venture he didn't recognize himself anymore. Krista Hessey / Global News But although Venture rejects the term as a description of its offering, experts say the punitive environment and strict controls described by youth and staff are akin to those programs — which can often harm youth more than they help. 'Compliance-based programming, those sort of rewards [and] punishment-based programmings simply don't work,' says Lise Milne. 'They actually are counterintuitive. They are counterproductive for youth who often emerge with more concerning behaviours.' Landen Brennan, who attended Venture Ontario in 2023 when he was 16, says he began self-harming while he was in the program. Now 18, Brennan is soft-spoken and speaks through a curtain of magenta hair. Openly gay, he says his host father 'screamed at me that I should act more like a man.' He spoke of 'heavy religious undertones' and a 'don't say gay environment' on campus that left him feeling unsure of his identity. Venture Academy marketing material from an unknown date, found online, promotes itself as a Christian institution. However, he says the therapy he received was 'the best part, if the only good part, of Venture,' and that he received 45-minute sessions most weeks. But his mother, Stephanie McGillvray-Brennan, says his depression worsened after he left the program. 'As soon as he got out of Venture, he was so unsure of himself, he would question everything, and he would say daily, 'Mom, am I a bad person?'' Advertisement View image in full screen 'My son was the one who suffered' Housing youth with local families is a key but controversial part of the Venture experience. Teens say they were often forced to spend most of their time alone in their rooms, weren't fed sufficiently, were exposed to drugs and alcohol and lived in basements or makeshift rooms. One girl told Global News she slept in a common room with a curtain as a partition. Another girl said she was forced to sleep in only her underpants for 12 weeks — a punishment for running away. Venture's Ontario campus is licensed as a foster care agency — a category that, according to the allegations of staff and youth, could put it at odds with Ontario law. Foster agencies are not allowed to deprive children of basic needs, including food or the use of a toilet, unless it is necessary to prevent immediate harm. They also cannot withhold or threaten to withhold visits or communication from family members. Basements are not allowed to be used as bedrooms. 'I question oversight because it's hard for me to imagine how the types of… experiences that youth are sharing now have not been followed up on and that the organizations have been able to continue to operate […],' says Lise Milne. Several of these same concerns were raised in MCCSS reports. The 2022 report found that youth being confined to their rooms for hours at a time was common practice at three out of five homes investigated, and that children were 'only allowed out of their rooms when they get permission.' It also observed that 'all bedroom doors are equipped with alarms that sound when the door is opened.' It was a common concern, relayed by 10 youth to Global News. Some say that prevented them from using the bathroom at night. View image in full screen Venture Academy's Kelowna campus, pictured here in the top right, was based out of the historic Black Mountain Schoolhouse. Since the location was shut down, it has become a liquor store. Global News / Venture Academy Website Parker Pennington, 18, who attended Venture Academy's Kelowna campus in 2021 when he was 13, says he would have to defecate in his underwear and 'just take it to the garbage.' He recalls being treated like a 'caged animal' at his host parent's house, and says his experience was defined by violence and fights. After Parker returned home, he was unable to sleep alone, says his mother, Sarrah Pennington. Pennington tells Global News she feels ripped off 'financially, emotionally, psychologically.' 'I just feel completely taken advantage of, preyed upon, and my son was the one who suffered from this,' she adds. Host parents themselves say they weren't given sufficient training to deal with at-risk youth, other than receiving an information binder, a book by renowned physician and addictions specialist Gabor Mate and developmental psychologist Gordon Neufeld and an orientation. Global News spoke to 10 Venture host parents. Most requested anonymity because their contracts prohibit them from making any derogatory statements about their former employer, 'whether or not such… statements are true.' View image in full screen Venture's Ontario location is in a small town nearby Barrie, Ontario. Kurt Brownridge / Global news Two host parents spoke of being under pressure to take more children than they could responsibly house. One host parent mentioned that he had put a bed in his dining room. Advertisement Court records also reveal there is at least one allegation of sexual abuse of a minor committed by a host parent associated with the Ontario campus, which occurred in 2011, and three associated with the company's Kelowna campus since 2010. [A second story in this series will look at this in more detail.] In 2014, a host parent by the name of Victor Lucero was arrested in the high-profile bust of a massive drug importation network directed by Mexico's Sinaloa drug cartel. Lucero, a real estate agent, helped to arrange a mortgage deal with the crime ring for a warehouse, he confirmed to Global News, but was not involved any further. 'I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong clients,' he says. In April 2016, Lucero pleaded guilty to possession of the proceeds of crime with a value over $5,000 and received a 19-month conditional sentence. Lucero would not tell Global News if children were in his home when he was arrested and declined to answer any further questions. Venture initially removed youth from Lucero's home, but reintroduced them after he was convicted, according to former staff and a teen who was in his home in late 2016. Correspondence shared with Global News shows that Ontario executive director Louise Beard and Teresa Hay, Venture's managing director, were made aware of the court case in 2016 after a staff member sent them a news article about his charges. Within a week of reporting the case to leadership, that same employee says she was fired. MCCSS and Venture declined to answer questions about Lucero. Venture also declined to answer questions about the staffer's termination. View image in full screen Company management's qualifications unclear Like host parents, those who run Venture do not seem to be specifically trained in youth mental health, either. Gordon and Teresa Hay started Venture Academy in 2001 after working as foster parents for high-needs youth in B.C. for two years. Gordon holds a bachelor's degree from Brandon University, Global confirmed. A 2014 bio from the Venture website states that he majored in psychology and physical education. His wife, Teresa, who had management experience in the fitness and service industries, ran Venture's Kelowna campus until it shut down in 2021. Ontario Executive Director Louise Beard's website biography, which was recently removed from the website, stated that she worked for the Department of National Defence (DND) and has 'extensive training and education in trauma and addictions.' DND confirmed Beard worked for them as an addiction counsellor periodically between 2002 and 2005. Beard, as well as the Hays, declined to answer questions from Global News. Staff, however, spoke strongly about Beard's management style. 'It was probably the most destructive, personally psychologically damaging place to work ever,' says one former employee, who quit. View image in full screen A former Venture staff member said youth in Ontario had to have their heads down when walking and couldn't make eye contact or speak freely to one another. 'If there was anything that looked like you were making a signal for help…you were reprimanded,' they said. James Morrison-Collalto / Global News 'I was gaslit and told that I have no idea what I'm talking about and that these kids are horrible human beings and they're just playing you,' says another former employee, who also left the company. There are contradicting reports on how many therapists the Ontario campus employed. Youth and staff say the only on-site therapist was a woman named Naomi Hoffenberg, who confirmed to Global News that she served as a part-time contractor, working primarily two days per week between 2014 and 2022. Hoffenberg added that other therapists also provided services — including Beard — and confirmed therapy conversations were summarized in 'sessional notes' that were accessible to staff but there she wasn't aware of any incidents related to the use of them. Advertisement Beard did not respond to questions about what qualifications she had to provide therapy. Joseph Mete, who says he worked at the Ontario campus between 2009 and 2018, says that he provided counselling for 'two or three hours a day' while completing a two-year course in social service work at Georgian College in Barrie, Ont. He says he was encouraged to 'diagnose the kids with something,' and pass feedback to parents that they should keep the child in the program, even if they didn't need it. Another staffer, in Alberta, told us they simply Googled worksheets for group therapy sessions. Mete eventually left the job because he didn't agree with the way the children were being treated. He believed many children 'worsened' while at Venture. View image in full screen
