Internal reports shed light on lewd comments and behaviour at Canada's border agency

< warm>Warning: This cover contains sexually expressed examples of sexual torment.

A series of reports into cases of sexual harassment raise questions about the workplace culture at the Canada Border Services Agency, where internal investigations found inappropriate comments were tolerated and filing official complaints was discouraged.

The previously unreleased documents show many instances in which female employees were subjected to degrading comments and behaviour of a sexual nature over long periods, often by superiors or more experienced colleagues.

In one case, a superintendent made an explicit request for sexual favors from two female subordinates. Other reports detail unwanted touching.

The seven reports from 2023 to 2025 focus solely on complaints of sexual harassment, most of which were deemed to be founded. There is no mention in the reports of the sanctions that were imposed after the respondents were deemed to have breached their code of conduct.

The reports suggest this type of behaviour persisted because of an unhealthy "work culture" in certain parts of the organization, but also because some victims did not trust that their complaints would be taken seriously.

In response to questions about these reports, the CBSA said it recently launched a process with its employees and union representatives "to identify and diagnose the most urgent issues to address" within its workforce of 18,000 employees.

"We want to establish a culture where people can speak out without fear of reprisal if they are victims or witnesses of wrongdoing or discriminatory behaviour, and where they feel supported knowing that the CBSA has policies and processes in place to address it," said spokesperson Guillaume Bérubé.

The situation is reminiscent of crises that have affected the Canadian Armed Forces and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Still, legal and public service experts say the problem exists across the federal public sector.

"It's easier to think it's just those people in uniform. And it's not," said Jody Thomas, the former commissioner of the Canadian Coast Guard and deputy minister at National Defence.

She said this will persist "until work environments are such that people feel that they can speak up" without fear of reprisal.

According to the most recent figures compiled by Ottawa, half of all harassment complaints in government involve people in positions of authority, a much higher proportion than in the federally regulated private sector.

According to a recent investigation at the CBSA, two female employees asked their superintendent — a long-time colleague — if they could work as a team the following day.

He said he'd agree if he could join them and if they agreed to "---- him in the car."

The superintendent's exact words are redacted in the report, which was released under the Access to Information Act.

During the investigation, one of the complainants stated that she was used to inappropriate comments from her male colleague, but that this was the first time it had "crossed a line."

She told investigators she struggled to put the incident behind her because her male colleague "was in a position of authority."

The second employee mentioned another incident where the same superintendent had told her that he was physically aroused in her presence.

"You seem like someone who's into power exchange," the superintendent reportedly told his subordinate.

The report says he called his colleagues "rats" when he learned they might file a complaint. During the investigation, it says he claimed he was only joking, as he had been doing for years, before admitting that his comments were not in accordance with the agency's code of conduct.

According to another investigation report, one person complained of two incidents when a long-serving employee — whom she considered "a mentor and leader"— touched her inappropriately.

In the most serious incident, she recounted that he grabbed her by the waist and belt, before rubbing himself against her buttocks while moving his hands on her hips and thighs.

The victim did not report the situation immediately because she believed her colleagues would likely side with her more experienced colleague. 

She added that it's a "male-dominated work environment," according to the report.

A different report from 2023 shows that three people complained about one colleague engaging in inappropriate comments and harassing behavior. It says the colleague was significantly older than at least one of the complainants.

The report says this male employee notably kissed a person on the edge of the mouth, without notice or consent, in addition to communicating with her repeatedly and harassingly after they had a brief personal relationship.

During a meal with colleagues at Subway, this employee made a series of comments about the size of another employee's sandwich. He then made a sexual innuendo related to the mayonnaise dressing.

According to one report, young employees were told by more experienced colleagues "not to complain because they will be labelled as complainers and their contracts will not be renewed."

Former vice-president at the CBSA, Denis Vinette, said that the high-stress work carried out by officers, such drug seizures and arresting wanted individuals, creates an environment in which whistleblowing can be discouraged.

As a result, he said the CBSA has been working to create a process that involves rigorous investigations and clear penalties when complaints are justified.

"Unfortunately, working in a uniform creates a fear of coming forward," Vinette said. 

"People need to have confidence in the mechanisms that are in place, knowing that complaints will be properly investigated, that there will be a report, that there will be consequences and that the consequences will be known."

He added that "as of today, it's very clear that when it comes to sexual harassment, it's a firing offence."

CBSA president Erin O'Gorman declined an interview request for this story.

Reporter

Daniel Leblanc is a reporter with more than 20 years experience in investigative journalism and federal politics. He is a past winner of the Michener Award, the Charles Lynch Award and three National Newspaper Awards.

---

---