Ottawa’s corporate-ethics watchdog says a Vancouver-based mining company has allowed forced labour to occur at its gold mine in the Xinjiang region of China, even though the firm lost control of the project before the alleged slavery took place.
The company cited, Dynasty Gold Corp., says it’s being tarnished by baseless allegations on timelines that make no sense, but ombudsperson Sheri Meyerhoffer said companies are responsible for holdings they jointly control. The finding Tuesday is the first determination the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise has made since the office was created by the Liberals in 2018.
“Evidence gathered through this investigation suggests that Uyghur forced labour likely took place at the Hatu Qi-2 gold mine,” ombudsperson Sheri Meyerhoffer wrote in a report released Tuesday. China denies all allegations of slave labour in its Xinjiang region.
Tuesday’s finding has Meyerhoffer recommending that Canada bar Dynasty from access to trade services and financial support. The company says it has never received those services.
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