Workers in Alberta are facing a dramatic surge in unpaid wages, with provincial courts ordering employers to pay out nearly $3.7 million in 2025. This represents a shocking 84 per cent increase in the total amount owed compared to the previous year, highlighting a growing crisis of wage theft in the province.
Registry Reveals Scale of the Problem
The alarming figures come from Alberta's public registry of employers with unpaid judgments. In 2025, the database recorded 400 judgments against 265 different employers. These entries are made when a business or individual fails to comply with a court order to pay what they owe to former or current employees.
This is a significant jump from 2024, when the registry listed 188 employers collectively owing $2.3 million. The debts encompass various forms of compensation, including regular wages, vacation pay, holiday pay, termination pay, and overtime. Individual judgments from the past year ranged from a mere $42 to a massive single claim of over $203,000.
Major Violators and Defunct Companies
Topping the list of offenders is Sirona Pharma Inc., also known as Acreage Pharms. The medical cannabis company, which operated a large facility in Yellowhead County, west of Edmonton, accounts for 21 judgments totaling $302,855 in unpaid wages. The company is now insolvent, had its Health Canada licence revoked in November 2025, and its phone number is no longer in service.
The largest single judgment was against Nakamun Earthworks and Logging, a British Columbia-based company, for $203,298.20. Its corporate registration in B.C. was cancelled in November 2025, and the company could not be reached for comment.
Other notable entries in the database include Altavero Haircare Ltd., which appeared 31 times owing $197,111, and the now-closed Capstone Engineering Academy in Calgary, which owes over $118,000. Global Empire Corporation, an Edmonton call centre that has since shut down, owes former employees just over $200,000.
A Growing Challenge for Worker Protection
The stark increase in both the number of judgments and the total dollar amount owed signals a pressing issue within Alberta's labour market. While the public registry serves as a tool for transparency and enforcement, the rising figures suggest that more workers are being forced to pursue legal action to recover earned income that employers have withheld.
The data underscores the financial vulnerability of employees and the consequences of business failures or misconduct. For the affected workers, these unpaid sums represent significant personal financial loss, impacting their livelihoods and families.
