Alberta priest's company admits to foreign worker scheme

An Albertacompany owned by a Ukrainian Orthodox priestadmitted todayit brought in dozens of Polish workers to Albertaunder false pretenses and skimmed their pay.

FatherJohn Lipinski of St. Paul, Alta., along with his wife Angela and business partner Calvin Steinhauer,faced charges forbringing foreign welders and machinistsinto the province illegally on student visas.

Under a deal revealed in an Edmonton court room Tuesday, the charges against the three were dropped and the companyowned by Lipinski and his partner pleaded guilty to one count under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

The company,Kihew Energy Services,was fined $215,000. That money will go toforeign worker training at Lakeland College in northeastAlberta,the school Lipinski used fraudulently to bring inthe workers beginning back in December 2005.

Thetradesmen ended up working for Lipinski's company, which managed to pocket more than $1 million in less than twoyearsby skimming their pay, said investigators.

The company contracted out the workers for $24 perhour, but only paid them between $10 and $12 per hour, said anagreed statement of facts.

The company also charged the workers for rent and transportation, allowing it to profit $20 per hour from each worker.

Only some workers ever attended ESL classes at the college, however none attended welding classes asindicated on the visas.

Most of the welders went home to Poland but some are still in Alberta hoping to become residents.

RCMP Staff Sgt. Jim Gamlinsaid although this is the firstconviction under this act in Alberta, the case is not unique.

"Unfortunately with the status of our labour force here and temporary foreign workers being used here in Alberta, we're seeing this more and more in Alberta."

Lipinski, of St. Paul, Alta., wassuspended as apriest in the Bonnyville area until the case was resolved.

His involvement shocked the community, leaving many feeling betrayed.