Latest news with #DesertHillsEstateWinery
Economic Times
a day ago
- Economic Times
High-profile Okanagan winemaker charged in migrant hot tub sexual assault scandal
What happened? Live Events Human voices A pattern of labor abuses Why it matters (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Randhir 'Randy' Toor, a prominent figure in British Columbia's wine country, has been formally charged with sexual assault against an undocumented migrant farm 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 who co-owned Desert Hills Estate Winery (formerly Toor Vineyards ), makes his first court appearance this 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 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 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 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 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 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 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.
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
High-profile Okanagan winemaker charged in migrant hot tub sexual assault scandal
What happened? Live Events Human voices A pattern of labor abuses Why it matters (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Randhir 'Randy' Toor, a prominent figure in British Columbia's wine country, has been formally charged with sexual assault against an undocumented migrant farm 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 who co-owned Desert Hills Estate Winery (formerly Toor Vineyards ), makes his first court appearance this 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 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 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 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 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 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 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.
Global News
2 days ago
- Global News
High-profile South Okanagan winemaker charged with sexual assault
The safety of migrant and undocumented workers is under renewed scrutiny after Randhir Singh Toor, a prominent figure in the South Okanagan wine industry, was charged with sexual assault against an undocumented foreign worker. 'Undocumented workers are most vulnerable than anyone because there is no one to come help them to provide them support,' said Raul Gatica of the Dignidad Migrante Society. Toor is the co-owner of the now-closed Desert Hills Estate Winery. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy He had his first court appearance Wednesday for the alleged sexual assault that occurred in December 2023. Court documents show his Mount Baldy cabin was searched during the subsequent investigation. According to the Dignidad Migrante Society, which advocates for the foreign workers, abuse is widespread as many temporary foreign workers aren't aware of their limited rights. Story continues below advertisement Gatica is calling on government and police to do more to protect this group, especially undocumented workers who are made to believe they have no rights at all. 'There is no specific program to help to educate the workers against the fear that they have,' said Gatica. In an unrelated case, another business, which shares the same address as Desert Hills, Toor Vineyards, was permanently banned from hiring temporary foreign workers in December and fined more than $100,000. Toor will be back in court in August. None of the allegations have been tested in court.
