The City of Port Alberni is denying that it defamed the San Group forestry company and is asking that a lawsuit launched by the company be dismissed.
The city asked the Supreme Court of B.C. last month to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the company claiming an overnight search of its remanufacturing plant by local officials harmed its reputation.
No allegations have been proven in court and no court dates have been set.
In the city’s version of facts filed this week, it said the media published public complaints regarding the living conditions of temporary foreign workers on premises owned by the San Group.
The city said that on July 3, it issued a news release on the issue saying the complaint had been referred to the appropriate federal and provincial authorities. It said that as a general policy, the city considers the protection of temporary foreign workers’ rights to be important and appreciates third-party agencies that assist and support such workers.
Port Alberni’s fire chief inspected the company’s plant in July to determine whether it had complied with a 2022 fire order prohibiting anyone from sleeping there, the city said.
In its response to the San Group’s claim, the city denies it is liable.
San Group has rejected suggestions that it was mistreating its temporary foreign workers.
