{"id":212314,"date":"2025-12-09T12:02:42","date_gmt":"2025-12-09T17:02:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/doppleronline.ca\/huntsville\/?p=212314"},"modified":"2025-12-09T12:10:08","modified_gmt":"2025-12-09T17:10:08","slug":"tourism-operator-fined-32000-following-sexual-harassment-ruling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/doppleronline.ca\/huntsville\/tourism-operator-fined-32000-following-sexual-harassment-ruling\/","title":{"rendered":"Tourism operator fined $32,000 following sexual harassment ruling"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A Fergus woman employed as a tour guide was awarded over $32,000 after enduring two months of sexual harassment at the hands of the owner and other staff while working for an adventure tourism company in the Muskoka and Haliburton regions. <\/p>\n\n\n

<\/broadstreet-zone><\/strong><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The Human Rights Legal Support Centre represented the applicant in her successful human rights application against Back Country Tours and its owner, Dudley Hookong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Applicant hired as an independent contractor:<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Hookong, who is also the personal respondent in the case of Cloutier v. Back Country Tours Inc.<\/em>, 2025 HRTO 2867<\/a>, hired Chelsea Cloutier as an independent contractor who would report directly to him. From the beginning of this employment, the HRTO heard that Hookong acted inappropriately, with a pattern of controlling and inappropriate behaviour emerging, making Cloutier feel \u201cuncomfortable, manipulated, belittled, objectified, sexually harassed, anxious and unsafe.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Escalating behaviour:<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

This behaviour escalated to include attempts by Hookong to make Cloutier drink alcohol, sexually solicit her, and forcing her to spend a night with him in a single bed during a business trip. Hookong also ignored his obligation to address Cloutier\u2019s complaints about other staff members\u2019 sexually inappropriate comments and advances made towards her. After two months of this treatment, Cloutier resigned from Back Country Tours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis case puts predatory employers on notice that a poisoned work environment where a culture of sexual harassment and discrimination against women is nurtured is unacceptable,\u201d said Jamie McGinnis, legal counsel at the HRLSC. \u201cOur client is relieved to close this chapter and hopes her experience shows others that human rights protections are available to challenge the conduct of abusive employers and that women can and should assert those rights.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

HRTO ruling:<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

The HRTO found that as the sole owner of Back Country Tours, Hookong and the company were \u201cjointly and severally liable for subjecting [Cloutier] to a poisoned work environment, sexual harassment, and sexual solicitation or advances.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Tribunal ordered:<\/p>\n\n\n\n