A senior public servant at the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) accepted an all-expenses-paid holiday to Jamaica courtesy of Air Canada Vacations in November, despite the fact PHAC had been advising Canadians since March to avoid non-essential travel during the COVID-19 pandemic..Dominique Baker, the acting manager at the agency’s Office of Border and Travel Health (OBHS), flew with a friend to the upscale, all-inclusive Royalton Blue Waters resort in Montego Bay in mid-November, reportedthe Globe and Mail..Baker, posted a video on social media shortly after arriving, calling the hotel suite with its own infinity pool “mind-blowing – whoa.”. Screen-Shot-2021-01-07-at-11.39.08-AMRoyalton Blue Waters .“One of our two butlers is bringing us our pina coladas right now. No, we are not kidding – we have two butlers,” she gushed, “Thank you, Air Canada Vacations. We are beside ourselves.”.Baker’s husband, Ryan, is also a senior civil servant. He is the director of strategic communications at the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness and previously served as director of infectious disease, risk and emergency communications at Health Canada..Baker advertises herself as a social, fashion and travel influencer during her personal time.. Screen-Shot-2021-01-07-at-11.38.47-AMRoyalton Blue Waters .In a Nov. 24 blog on her site, Style Domination, Ms. Baker gushed about the trip and posted pictures of herself on the beach and at poolside, horseback riding and eating at fancy restaurants. Both the video and the blog post have since been removed from the site..“Our trip was booked with Air Canada Vacations, which included our flights aboard Air Canada Rouge, our stay at the lovely Royalton Blue Waters, a private transfer to and from the hotel in Jamaica, and a free checked bag for each of us,” she wrote..Her website states: “My name is Dominique and I’m a fashion, beauty and lifestyle blogger. A public servant by day, my blog… serves as a creative outlet highlighting my deep interest in fashion and beauty with a focus on humour. After all, you need a sense of humour to spend $2000 on a handbag. Style Domination is simply a play on my name. My blog highlights how I “Dom-ify” my clothing, so really, it’s more of a focus on “Style Domification” of current trends and classic pieces alike. Promise – I don’t pretend to dominate anything!”. Screen-Shot-2021-01-07-at-11.37.19-AMRoyalton Blue Waters .Air Canada’s manager of corporate communications, Peter Fitzpatrick, said the airline did not provide the paid junket to Ms. Baker because of her government connections but because of her activities as a social-media influencer, reported the Globe..“This individual was engaged on the basis of her influencer profile, the demographic of her followers and because of her established track record as an influencer,” he said. “Her influencer profile did not mention her employment with the government.”. Screen-Shot-2021-01-07-at-11.36.30-AMRoyalton Blue Waters .He noted that the Jamaica holiday package involved an “exchange for content, including an emphasis on our onboard CleanCare+ program and health and safety measures at the property she visited..Ken Grafton is the Western Standards Ottawa Bureau Chief. He can be reached at kgrafton@westernstandardonline.com
A senior public servant at the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) accepted an all-expenses-paid holiday to Jamaica courtesy of Air Canada Vacations in November, despite the fact PHAC had been advising Canadians since March to avoid non-essential travel during the COVID-19 pandemic..Dominique Baker, the acting manager at the agency’s Office of Border and Travel Health (OBHS), flew with a friend to the upscale, all-inclusive Royalton Blue Waters resort in Montego Bay in mid-November, reportedthe Globe and Mail..Baker, posted a video on social media shortly after arriving, calling the hotel suite with its own infinity pool “mind-blowing – whoa.”. Screen-Shot-2021-01-07-at-11.39.08-AMRoyalton Blue Waters .“One of our two butlers is bringing us our pina coladas right now. No, we are not kidding – we have two butlers,” she gushed, “Thank you, Air Canada Vacations. We are beside ourselves.”.Baker’s husband, Ryan, is also a senior civil servant. He is the director of strategic communications at the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness and previously served as director of infectious disease, risk and emergency communications at Health Canada..Baker advertises herself as a social, fashion and travel influencer during her personal time.. Screen-Shot-2021-01-07-at-11.38.47-AMRoyalton Blue Waters .In a Nov. 24 blog on her site, Style Domination, Ms. Baker gushed about the trip and posted pictures of herself on the beach and at poolside, horseback riding and eating at fancy restaurants. Both the video and the blog post have since been removed from the site..“Our trip was booked with Air Canada Vacations, which included our flights aboard Air Canada Rouge, our stay at the lovely Royalton Blue Waters, a private transfer to and from the hotel in Jamaica, and a free checked bag for each of us,” she wrote..Her website states: “My name is Dominique and I’m a fashion, beauty and lifestyle blogger. A public servant by day, my blog… serves as a creative outlet highlighting my deep interest in fashion and beauty with a focus on humour. After all, you need a sense of humour to spend $2000 on a handbag. Style Domination is simply a play on my name. My blog highlights how I “Dom-ify” my clothing, so really, it’s more of a focus on “Style Domification” of current trends and classic pieces alike. Promise – I don’t pretend to dominate anything!”. Screen-Shot-2021-01-07-at-11.37.19-AMRoyalton Blue Waters .Air Canada’s manager of corporate communications, Peter Fitzpatrick, said the airline did not provide the paid junket to Ms. Baker because of her government connections but because of her activities as a social-media influencer, reported the Globe..“This individual was engaged on the basis of her influencer profile, the demographic of her followers and because of her established track record as an influencer,” he said. “Her influencer profile did not mention her employment with the government.”. Screen-Shot-2021-01-07-at-11.36.30-AMRoyalton Blue Waters .He noted that the Jamaica holiday package involved an “exchange for content, including an emphasis on our onboard CleanCare+ program and health and safety measures at the property she visited..Ken Grafton is the Western Standards Ottawa Bureau Chief. He can be reached at kgrafton@westernstandardonline.com
