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
LIVE B.C. seeks ban on using drugs in 'all public spaces,' shifting approach to decriminalization
The B.C. government is moving to have drug use banned in 'all public spaces,' marking a major shift in the province's approach to decriminalization.
Air traveller complaints to Canadian Transportation Agency hit new high
The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
AFN chief says Air Canada offered a 15% discount after her headdress was mishandled
After the Assembly of First Nations' national chief complained to Air Canada about how staffers treated her and her ceremonial headdress on a flight this week, she says the airline responded by offering a 15 per cent discount on her next flight.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.
76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid says he has Bell's palsy
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis he says has affected him since before the play-in tournament.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
DEVELOPING Bird flu outbreaks: WHO weighs in on public health risk
The current overall public health risk posed by the H5N1 bird flu virus is low, the World Health Organization said on Friday, but urged countries to stay alert for cases of animal-to-human transmission.