Food, electricity bills went unpaid at now-shuttered N.B. special care homes, say staff

Bills for food, waste services and electricity went unpaid in the months leading up to the forced closure of two New Brunswick special care homes, according to current and former employees, and one company that cut business ties with the homes last year.

The allegations come against a backdrop of multiple lawsuits launched against the owner of the homes, claiming he owes hundreds of thousands of dollars in connection with his other business ventures.

Amarjeet Singh Jatana is listed in the New Brunswick corporate registry as the sole director of Villa Neguac and Foyer St. Bernard, two special care homes in Neguac that had their licences revoked last week by the Department of Social Development.

The department says the move was done to protect the well-being of the 29 residents after an investigation found the two homes in northeastern New Brunswick weren't in compliance with established standards and practices.

According to former and current employees of the homes, and a Caraquet company, the homes weren't paying service providers in the months leading up to last week, leading to food not being delivered, garbage not being taken out and worries that the electricity would be disconnected.

C.L. Comeau, a food distribution company in Caraquet, finally had to stop deliveries to the homes.

"[Jatana] told me that we're going to be paid one time, and then it would be the next time, and the next time, and we didn't get paid so we stopped," said Normand Mourant, manager at C.L. Comeau.

Mourant said the company began supplying the two homes with fresh and frozen foods in early 2022. However, it didn't take long for the deal to sour.

"[Getting paid] was an issue from the start and it never went better," he said.

Mourant said C.L. Comeau tried working out payment plans with Jatana, whom he spoke to by phone a few times.

However, the company decided in October to stop dealing with the homes.

Mourant said the company is now out "a few thousand dollars" and considering its next options.

"It's a pain in the butt, and it's not that we didn't try. We tried to make some arrangements, but they never kept their end of the bargain and for sure for us, we're not happy with what happened with that for those two places."

CBC News has tried numerous times to contact Jatana by phone. Last Friday, Jatana returned a phone call, but he declined an interview, saying it was late at night in India.