Ontario Man Fined $70,000 for Illegal Banff Jobs

CALGARY, Alberta - An Ontario man has pleaded guilty in an Alberta court to two counts of unauthorized employment of foreign nationals, receiving a $70,000 fine in a case tied to illegal work arrangements in the hospitality sector of Banff National Park.

Kevin Kielty entered the plea last month, according to court records. In addition to the fine, he was sentenced to two years of probation and 50 hours of community service. The case stems from a joint investigation launched in June 2022 by the Canada Border Services Agency and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Authorities received initial information from the Ontario Provincial Police and officers in Barrie, Ontario, regarding suspected immigration violations.

Investigators determined that Kielty, through an employment agency named One Team, coordinated the travel of a group of foreign nationals from Ontario to Alberta. These individuals took up unauthorized jobs in Banff, a popular tourist destination within the national park. The probe uncovered broader issues, identifying an additional 90 foreign nationals from Mexico who were working illegally across four resort hotels in the Banff and Jasper areas.