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Read the original French version of this article here.<\/a><\/p>\n Mallory Mathieu couldn\u2019t believe her eyes when she received a direct deposit of $100 from her former employer, Orijin Village, on July 25.<\/p>\n Two complaints for financial theft are pending with the Commission des normes, de l\u2019\u00e9quit\u00e9, de la sant\u00e9 et de la s\u00e9curit\u00e9 du travail (CNESST) for a total of $25,344.38 in unpaid wages. This dispute will go to court, confirms the CNESST.<\/p>\n More than nine months have passed since Mathieu was abruptly dismissed from her position at the Montreal-based non-profit organization.<\/p>\n Since then, Mathieu has been experiencing financial instability. Bills are piling up, and she constantly fears being evicted from her home. This situation has led to increased psychological distress.<\/p>\n She now wants only one thing: to receive the thousands in unpaid wages that Orijin Village owes her since August 2024, she confides with tears in her eyes in an interview with The Rover.<\/p>\n Helping the community at the expense of staff<\/p>\n Orijin Village\u2019s mission is to combat economic inequality affecting Black communities in Canada and to strengthen the economic, financial, and social power of Black-owned startups through technological integration and the digital transition of their activities and communications. The organization also encourages the community to support these businesses.<\/p>\n Mathieu joined the organization on April 1, 2024, as communications officer.<\/p>\n Her employment contract stated that she would receive a gross salary of \u201c$45,000.00 per year, payable biweekly on normal pay dates,\u201d in addition to benefits.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI got my first paycheck on the 24th of April 24 [\u2026], and it was an e-transfer,\u201d she shares.<\/p>\n Surprised, she asked her coworkers about it.<\/p>\n According to them, this was the first time this had happened. Previously, the team received their salaries by direct deposit via the platform Ceridian. This human capital management software allowed employees to access their pay stubs.<\/p>\n As the weeks went by, Mathieu identified other signs that fueled her suspicions. Mathieu and another employee noted the sending of paychecks via Interac transfer, the inability to access statements, and a lack of communication, supervision, and clarity from management.<\/p>\n However, she decided not to dwell on it. Moreover, Mathieu appreciated the positive impact her work had on Montreal\u2019s Black community.<\/p>\n \u201cI was leading the promotion of our services, marketing services on social media and other channels,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s what I always wanted to do, help other business owners.\u201d<\/p>\n Hired on April 1, 2024, another employee [Jane Doe] also noted several discrepancies between the statements made by Esther Youte, co-founder and CEO of Orijin Village, and their employment contract.<\/p>\n First, \u201cpay stubs\u2026 I never saw any proper ones,\u201d even though she repeatedly asked her employer for them.<\/p>\n Then, the benefits she never received and the Interac e-transfers multiplied her doubts, she tells The Rover.<\/p>\n Support your local indie journalists!<\/a><\/p>\n Finally, both employees maintain that their onboarding process was rushed because Youte was busy with an audit.<\/p>\n The situation took a turn on July 31, 2024, when the employees\u2019 salaries were not paid.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re supposed to get paid on Thursday night. It would happen sometimes that [Esther Youte] would pay us Friday night or the following Monday or Tuesday. [\u2026] But this time it was everyone who didn\u2019t get paid on July 31st,\u201d explains Mathieu.<\/p>\n Youte explained that the delay was due to the organization\u2019s main funder, Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (CED). Nevertheless, she said via Slack that the paychecks should be deposited in the next few days.<\/p>\n \u201cWe gave her the benefit of the doubt. We were like, \u2018Why would she be lying?\u2019 I guess it happens that grants come in late,\u201d Mathieu recalls. So the employees continued to show up for work according to their usual schedule.<\/p>\n Over time, the CEO accumulated excuses and continued to promise that the situation would be resolved shortly. She even offered a $100 bonus to compensate for the missed payroll payments.<\/p>\n On September 18, 2024, employees finally received their paychecks for July 31, while the paychecks for the subsequent periods remained unpaid.<\/p>\n Loss of control<\/p>\n Little by little, employees lost access to several software programs and work platforms because the subscriptions were not paid for. This made it difficult for them to continue their work.<\/p>\n \u201cThere was absolutely no point in continuing to make an effort because I wasn\u2019t being paid,\u201d adds Jane Doe.<\/p>\n Starting September 20, 2024, Mathieu had to take a month off due to a medical issue. She admits that the situation had greatly affected her mental health.<\/p>\n \u201cIt hurts a lot, not being able to pay your rent, your electricity, your phone bill,\u201d she says. \u201cPeople are running after you for money and you look like the bad guy, but you\u2019re still going to work. It\u2019s such a load of stress, you\u2019re paying the bus, $3.75, and you have $100 in your bank account, but you have to go to work.\u201d<\/p>\n So, Mathieu decided to file a complaint for financial theft with the CNESST on September 23, 2024.<\/p>\n But on the day she returned to work, Mathieu received an email from Youte terminating her employment. Youte informed her that her position \u201cis terminated effective immediately on October 28, 2024, due to organizational restructuring.\u201d<\/p>\n The CEO offered to pay her all amounts due and provide her with her employment records. In return, Mathieu would have to waive all lawsuits, complaints, or claims by signing the agreement. She did not sign it and, at the same time, filed another complaint against Orijin Village for prohibited practices.<\/p>\n According to the CNESST, a worker\u2019s employment is protected when they have to be absent from work due to illness for a period of up to 26 weeks.<\/p>\n For her part, Jane Doe also files a complaint for financial theft. Jane Doe says that her financial situation no longer allowed her to believe Youte\u2019s statements.<\/p>\n Youte repeatedly assured staff that the administrative procedures with the lender would be resolved promptly and that payroll could be processed upon receipt of the financial assistance. However, on October 31, 2024, employees received an email announcing a temporary layoff.<\/p>\n The Rover contacted the CEO of Orijin Village to give her an opportunity to explain herself, but she declined the interview request.<\/p>\n A never-ending nightmare<\/p>\n During her sick leave, Mathieu did not receive employment insurance benefits because she was unable to submit the necessary documents to Service Canada.<\/p>\n Youte never provided her with her employment records despite Mathieu\u2019s numerous requests. It was not until October 25 that she sent them, but they contained multiple errors, including a reference to a \u201cvoluntary departure.\u201d<\/p>\n At that point, Mathieu submitted the document anyway. \u201cI\u2019m in survival mode. I really need money, and I can\u2019t wait another four weeks for Esther to correct it,\u201d she recalls.\u00a0<\/p>\n This action resulted in a delay in the processing of her employment insurance claim. Ms. Mathieu also faced even more difficulties when it came time to file her taxes.<\/p>\n In the meantime, the CNESST attempted to contact the CEO of Orijin Village on multiple occasions, but she was uncooperative. In fact, two formal notices were sent in June 2025 after the complaints were transferred to the legal department.<\/p>\n On July 2, 2025, Orijin Village sent them a payment agreement in three installments. An amount of $100 will be deposited on July 25 and August 22, and the remaining balances are to be paid on September 30, as described in the agreement. So far, the first two payments have been made.<\/p>\n According to Youte, the CNESST has \u201crecognized the process and temporarily suspended the proceedings, allowing us to regularize the situation by the fall of 2025,\u201d she wrote to The Rover.<\/p>\n However, the complaints will indeed be brought before the Tribunal in the coming months, according to The Rover\u2019s sources.<\/p>\n To date, Youte maintains that she is \u201cin discussions with Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions and other partners as part of our recovery and financial diversification strategy.\u201d<\/p>\n A terminated agreement<\/p>\n Following an access to information request, The Rover discovered that CED decided to terminate Orijin Village\u2019s financial assistance several months before the expiry of their non-repayable contribution agreement.<\/p>\n This decision was made because the organization \u201cfailed to meet certain contractual obligations,\u201d said Natalia Riquelme, chief of staff in the office of the Vice President for CED, on November 4, 2024.<\/p>\n She went on to add that \u201cwe are terminating the agreement by reducing the authorized assistance to the assistance paid as justified by various financial documents; no additional payments are possible. This allows us to ensure responsible management of public funds in this case.\u201d<\/p>\n The contract provided by CED reveals that it had committed to providing $260,000 for the 2021-2022 fiscal year; followed by $680,000 in 2022-2023; then $680,000 in 2023-2024 and $728,190 in 2024-2025.<\/p>\n What is the Ecosystem Fund?<\/p>\n In 2020, the Government of Canada collaborated with Black-led business organizations and financial institutions to create the Black Entrepreneurship Program<\/a> (BEP).<\/p>\n