Nordik Spa adds audio safety measure amid class action over sexual assault allegations - Global News

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to clarify that most of Nordik Spa Village Chelsea’s protective measures were in place before the class-action lawsuit. The audio system in treatment rooms was introduced in April.

Nordik Spa Village in Chelsea, Que., has introduced a new safety measure for its massage therapy services amid a class-action lawsuit involving allegations of sexual assault against multiple massage therapists.

The legal action was initially filed by one woman in December 2024. Earlier this month, a Quebec judge authorized the case to proceed, with close to 150 class members now involved.

Nordik Spa says many protective measures have been in place for years, but it introduced an audio recording system in treatment rooms last spring.

The spa says the audio systems are now being used in massage rooms with the guest’s prior consent. The company says the recordings will not be routinely reviewed but may be accessed when a complaint is filed.

Under the spa’s other safety measures, massage therapists must receive training on consent and the prevention of sexual violence and remain in good standing with a recognized professional association.

Guests are asked to provide consent before sensitive areas are massaged, including the buttocks, upper inner thighs and pectoral area. Therapists must also obtain explicit verbal consent again before massaging those areas and conduct at least two verbal check-ins during each session about pressure, temperature and overall comfort.

An electronic health form allows guests to indicate whether they consent to having sensitive areas massaged.

“The difference really lies in consent training, (introducing) the audio recording, and increasing the number of mystery guests,” Groupe Nordik chief operating officer Alexandre Cantin told Global News.

The company says security personnel are present at all times on a floor dedicated to massage therapy services and that a mystery guest program, which uses individuals posing as regular clients to evaluate services, is part of its prevention and safety measures.

Cantin said the spa has a zero-tolerance policy regarding allegations of a sexual nature. “What that means is whenever someone has a complaint, it is completely terminated for the massage therapist.”

The class action involves sexual assault allegations against 36 massage therapists over two decades.

One of the plaintiffs behind the class action told Global News on Wednesday the measures are welcome, but come too late. “It’s good that they are taking measures. Is it enough? No,” she said.

She said the measures were not in place when she or the other class members needed them.

“They knew it was going on and they brushed it under the rug. So it’s a little too late.”

In a public statement, Groupe Nordik founder Martin Paquette said he was deeply shaken and angry by the allegations.

The company is also calling for tighter regulation of Quebec’s massage therapy industry, saying the status quo is no longer acceptable.

Maroine Bendaoud, president of the Quebec Massotherapists Federation, said about a dozen associations operate in the province.

“They all have their different approaches and lists (of members), and many of those lists are not necessarily public,” he said.

Six major associations representing 95 per cent of the industry are calling for changes, including legislation that would protect the title of massage therapist.

“We want to professionalize the discipline, so we are aiming to protect the title of massage therapists with a bill passed at the legislative assembly,” Bendaoud said.

The proposed law would require minimum training, criminal background checks, liability insurance and continuing education.

Bendaoud said the groups also want a single, publicly accessible list that people and employers could use to determine whether someone is qualified to use the massage therapist title.

“We want to have one common list that is accessible on one website so the public and the employers can verify if this person is qualified to hold the title,” he said.

The proposed legislation would not stop unlicensed individuals from offering massages under different titles, but supporters say it would make the industry more accountable and better protect clients.

Support is available for people who have been sexually assaulted or abused. You can access crisis lines and local support services. Visit the Department of Justice’s Victim Services Directory for a list of resources in your area.