Saskatchewan store accused of making foreign workers pay in order to work for it

SWIFT CURRENT – A Saskatchewan employer and company are facing charges for allegedly making two foreign workers pay to work for them.

Saskatchewan’s immigration ministry says a numbered company and the owner who runs the Husky Travel Centre in Swift Current are each facing eight charges.

The charges include taking unfair advantage of a foreign national’s trust and charging a fee or expense to a foreign worker for employment.

The ministry says the alleged offences happened between September 2023 and August 2025.

The owner is expected to appear in court Wednesday in Swift Current. The Canadian Press has contacted a lawyer who says they’re representing the owner, but was not immediately able to get a response.

Of the eight charges that the company and its ownership are each facing, half are being laid under updated provincial legislation on immigration that was passed in 2024.

Under the new legislation, the court can impose heftier penalties compared with convictions before it was put into law.

Last week, Dhyan Jeny Enterprises, operating as Guac Mexi Grill in Moose Jaw, Sask., pleaded guilty to charging a foreign worker a fee or expense for employment. 

In that case, the court imposed $7,000 in fines and ordered them to pay back the worker $12,000. 

Bhavan Jaggi, a Regina-based lawyer who represented Dhyan Jeny in the case, said Dhyan Jeny plans not to take on foreign workers in the future and that the company will comply with restrictions from its franchisor.

In an emailed statement, the Guac Mexi Grill franchisor said it takes the well-being of employees in its franchise network seriously. 

It says franchisees are expected to uphold company standards.

“We are reviewing the matter in the context of our franchise agreement and will determine the appropriate actions available to us,” the email said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 18, 2026.