A class action lawsuit has been certified against Spa Nordik in Chelsea, Quebec, following allegations of sexual assault by massage therapists over a period of 19 years. The law firm Lambert Avocats reports that 143 individuals have come forward with similar complaints since last year. The lawsuit implicates 36 different massage therapists and accuses the spa of mishandling complaints and failing to protect clients adequately, including offering gift cards to victims as compensation rather than addressing their concerns properly.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-08,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Class action alleging sexual assaults at Spa Nordik to proceed
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action → allege → Nordik
Law firm says 143 people have come forward with allegations spanning 19 years
Dozens of people have joined a certified class action alleging they were sexually assaulted at Nordik Spa Village in Chelsea, Que., in a lawsuit that implicates dozens of massage therapists who worked there over a 19-year period.
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who → say → period
According to the class action, filed in French in Quebec Superior Court, the popular spa just north of Ottawa and Gatineau, Que., is alleged to have improperly handled complaints and not done enough to inform and protect clients.
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spa → accord → clients
Lambert Avocats, the lawyers representing the plaintiffs, said 143 people contacted them in the last year saying they’d been sexually assaulted by massage therapists at Spa Nordik.
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they → represent → Nordik
The lawsuit alleges wrongdoing by a total of 36 different massage therapists at the spa between 2007 and 2026.
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lawsuit → allege → 2007
"People are generally pretty shocked to hear the numbers, but I think they’re also relieved to see something is being done about it and they have a recourse," said lawyer Philippe Brault.
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Brault → shock → recourse
The claims in the class action have not been tested in court.
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claims → test → court
According to the lawsuit, several of the clients who raised allegations with Spa Nordik’s management were offered gift cards "to return to the establishment where they were sexually assaulted.
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they → accord → establishment
The lawsuit focuses on a representative case that occurred in December 2024.
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that → focus → December
CBC interviewed the woman at the centre of the complaint, who is not identified in court documents.
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who → interview → documents
CBC News is also not identifying her to respect the court process.
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News → identify → process
"It's disturbing, it's disgusting," she said of the number of complaints since the class action was initiated last summer.
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action → say → complaints
"I represent all of the women, so that keeps me going.
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that → represent → me
I want to represent them and let people know this is happening and this needs to be a situation that is managed, and these girls need to be protected and all women need to be protected and all people should be protected."
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people → want → them
According to the court documents, the woman paid for a massage and was assigned to a male massage therapist who instructed her to undress.
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who → accord → her
During the massage, he did not ease the pressure he applied despite being asked three times, according to the complaint.
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he → ease → complaint
It's also alleged that he touched the woman through his clothes with his stomach and genitals, and after placing a towel over her face began massaging her upper thighs.
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he → allege → thighs
The court documents allege Spa Nordik claimed its massage therapists were "independent contractors" and offered no apology or followup, and made no effort to prevent similar abuse following the complaint.
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therapists → allege → complaint
"This is a matter of institutional negligence," said Brault.
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Brault → say → negligence
"We want Spa Nordik and other similar establishments to understand that they have a responsibility to ensure their clients’ safety to prevent these types of events taking place, and when they know about these situations to take the proper measures to stop the situations from happening.
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they → want → situations
"
Client safety 'our highest priority,' spa says
The application for the class action argues Spa Nordik would have been aware of previous allegations of sexual assault before the representative case in 2024, including cases that ended up in criminal court.
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that → say → court
The class action argues the spa should have taken steps to improve vetting and training of massage therapists, and should have better informed clients about what to expect from its services and how to report any discomfort.
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spa → argue → discomfort
Spa Nordik told CBC News in a statement that the certification of the class action is not a judgment, and it plans to defend itself.
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it → tell → itself
It said the spa has taken "all necessary measures to ensure a respectful, safe and trustworthy environment.
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spa → say → environment
"
"The safety and well-being of our guests, employees and professionals remain our highest priority," wrote Isabelle Mathieu, general manager of Nordik Spa Village.
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Mathieu → remain → Village
She said the spa is unable to comment further given the ongoing legal proceedings.
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spa → say → proceedings
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