Saskatchewan trucking company hit with foreign worker charges

A Regina-based trucking company and one of its representatives are facing criminal charges in Saskatchewan after the province accused them of misleading foreign workers about the jobs they were hired to do. 

Escalade Transportation Inc. and Hafiz Tariq Ayub – a representative of the company in Regina –  each face three charges under The Foreign Worker Recruitment and Immigration Services Act (FWRISA), according to the Government of Saskatchewan.

The accused are charged with: 

• Producing or distributing false or misleading information, as prohibited by section 22(a) of The Foreign Worker Recruitment and Immigration Services Act.

• Misrepresenting employment opportunities, including misrepresentations respecting position, duties, length of employment, wages and benefits or other terms of employment, as prohibited by section 22(c) of The Foreign Worker Recruitment and Immigration Services Act.

• Taking unfair advantage of a foreign national's fear or lack of experience or knowledge, as prohibited by section 22(g) of The Foreign Worker Recruitment and Immigration Services Act.

The pair were scheduled to appear in Regina provincial court on Sept. 17, 2026, and the charges have not been proven. 

The filing lands one day after the province separately charged JD Trucking Ltd. under its newer Immigration Services Act, and it follows previous coverage of two Saskatchewan employers facing multiple immigration charges earlier this year. 

Stakeholders raise long-standing concerns

Trucking-industry voices have flagged this exact issue before. In a submission to federal consultations on forced labour, the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) urged Ottawa on Sept. 1, 2026 to strengthen enforcement and move ahead with a vetted "Known Employer Program," warning that some migrant drivers are paid as little as 22 to 24 cents per mile – roughly a third of prevailing rates, according to trucknews.com.

CTA president Stephen Laskowski has previously called for tougher oversight of the program: "The whole system needs to be overhauled," he told trucknews.com. 

Angela Splinter, CEO of Trucking HR Canada, has said "when used ethically and legally, the program can be effective," while Mike Millian, president of the Private Motor Truck Council of Canada, has noted abuse is widespread, saying "this situation is repeated in jurisdictions across the country." 

The Saskatchewan Trucking Association separately expressed concern in June 2026 after human trafficking charges were laid against another provincial trucking operation, and has pointed members to a Globe and Mail investigative series on labour abuse in the sector.

A pattern across Canada

Federal Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Program violation data show trucking has been a persistent problem area nationally, according to trucknews.com analysis of Government of Canada data released in 2025, ranging from about 19 from 2020 to 2022, 30 in 2023, 17 in 2024, 17 in 2025, for a total of 83.

Provincial legislation like FWRISA carries separate prosecutorial weight from federal TFW Program penalties, which have also risen sharply – Ottawa issued $10.2 million in monetary penalties in the 2025–26 fiscal year, more than double the prior year, per Employment and Social Development Canada. 

HR leaders recruiting drivers should treat this case as a prompt to review recruitment contracts, wage documentation and communication with foreign workers, particularly where third-party recruiters are involved.