Possible legal consequences begin for Sunwing passengers after feds spot 12 alleged infractions
Health Canada has started the process for possible legal consequences for some of the passengers on the infamous Sunwing flight to Cancun on Dec. 30.
However, the alleged infractions the agency is looking at are not related to the partying on the plane, according to Quebec prosecutors.
"These files do not cover the events that occurred during the flight, the images of which made the headlines," said Audrey Roy-Cloutier, a spokesperson for the Quebec Crown prosecutors' office.
Health Canada also suggested it wasn't interested in people's behaviour on the flight, but at other alleged problems surrounding the trip.
The Public Health Agency of Canada is “following up on suspected fraudulent cases and non respect of quarantine,” the agency's statement read.
Health Canada originally confirmed to CTV News on Monday that it had sent notices of infractions to Quebec’s prosecutor in relation to the flight's passengers, and that more will be sent later.
In an email, the health agency said that of the 12 notices of non-compliance under the Quarantine Act it has identified so far, three reports were sent to the Directeur des poursuites criminelles et pénales (DPCP) for their review.
It will be up to the prosecutor to decide whether or not to issue a fine.
Passengers are implicated in the 12 infractions and more are expected to be issued in the coming days, Health Canada said.
What "fraudulent cases" could be referring to is unclear.
The Dec. 30 flight became notorious for the alcohol-fuelled partying of the passengers, which aviation experts said posed a serious danger.
One young woman who went on the trip later told media that some participants tried to fake their COVID-19 swabs.
She said many of them later tested positive, including her, and needed to self-isolate in Mexico.
Sunwing cancelled the group's return flight and two other Canadian airlines refused to allow members of the group to fly with them, either, leaving around 100 stranded in Mexico, though at least a dozen appeared to find a way home to Canada last week.
Roy-Cloutier said Quebec prosecutors are looking at files from a variety of agencies, not just Health Canada.
"Several investigations are carried out by different organizations in relation to the application of various laws," she wrote in a statement.
"Any matter brought to our attention by one of these organizations will be analyzed in accordance with our guidelines and applicable legal principles to determine whether any legal action should be taken."
She said the information in a certain file will only become public once a criminal charge is filed or a statement of offence is served, so for the moment her office cannot say more.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Onlookers urged police to charge into Texas school
Frustrated onlookers urged police officers to charge into the Texas elementary school where a gunman's rampage killed 19 children and two teachers, witnesses said Wednesday, as investigators worked to track the massacre that lasted upwards of 40 minutes and ended when the 18-year-old shooter was killed by a U.S. Border Patrol team.

Texas school shooting: What we know so far about the victims
Families are sharing photos and stories of their loved ones, who lost their lives in a mass shooting in Texas that killed at least 19 children and two adults on Tuesday afternoon.
Charest and Brown challenge Poilievre, and other notable moments from the French Conservative leadership debate
Conservative Party of Canada leadership hopefuls Scott Aitchison, Roman Baber, Patrick Brown, Jean Charest, Leslyn Lewis, and Pierre Poilievre squared off in the second official party debate on Wednesday night in Laval, Que.
As it happened: The 2022 French-language Conservative leadership debate
The Conservative Party of Canada leadership hopefuls debated face-to-face in French, in Laval, Que. on May 25. Recap CTV News reporters' real-time updates as the debate unfolded.
Canada's 2022 summer weather forecast predicts huge differences from coast-to-coast
Several parts of the country, including British Columbia and Canada's Maritime provinces, are likely to see wetter-than-normal conditions this summer, according to AccuWeather's annual summer forecast.
Monkeypox in Canada: PHAC now confirms 16 cases nationwide
The Public Health Agency of Canada says it has now confirmed a total of 16 cases of monkeypox in the country, all in Quebec.
Canadian meets her long-lost sister for the first time on U.S. morning show
During an appearance on ABC's Good Morning America on Wednesday, adopted siblings Hannah Raleigh of Chicago and Limia Ravart of Montreal met in person for the first time after an ancestry test confirmed the two are in fact related.
Trudeau cancelled B.C. appearance after RCMP warned protest could escalate: CP source
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau cancelled plans to appear in person at a Liberal fundraiser in British Columbia Tuesday after RCMP warned an aggressive protest outside the event could escalate if he arrived, said a source close to the decision. The source spoke to The Canadian Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the situation publicly.
'How to Murder Your Husband' author found guilty of murder
A jury in Portland has convicted a self-published romance novelist - who once wrote an essay titled 'How to Murder Your Husband' - of fatally shooting her husband four years ago.