Lawyers have been brought in to help Public Works Minister Filomena Tassi conceal the value of a sole-sourced lease to a longtime Liberal Party donor, says Blacklock’s Reporter..Tassi’s department refused multiple requests to disclose payments to a Québec landowner whose property was used to process illegal immigrants..“The department is processing this Access To Information request with the assistance of legal services,” staff wrote in a briefing note..The document was prompted by a request from the Québec daily La Presse..The department acknowledged awarding numerous contracts to the landowner, but withheld details..“Given the location of the property and its proximity to the border this was the ideal location,” said the briefing note..Contracts including a 10-year lease on a warehouse were awarded to Les Industries Guay of Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle, Que..The company’s owner Pierre Guay and his family are longtime Liberal Party donors..Contributions since 2004 totaled $40,870 according to federal filings..“A number of agreements have been concluded with Mr. Guay, e.g. lease for office space, land lease and contracts for use of the hotel adjacent to the border crossing,” wrote staff..Guay owns the hotel..“Generally the department is not able to unilaterally disclose certain details of lease agreements given that some information may be commercially confidential,” said the note..The Canada Border Services Agency leased Guay’s warehouse since 2017 under a sole-sourced contract..No other building owners were asked to submit bids..“Due to the urgency of the situation the department negotiated with the lessor,” wrote staff..Leases were extended from March 1, 2017 to March 31, 2027 at undisclosed rates “to help accommodate an increase in asylum seekers at the Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle crossing,” said the department..It acknowledged Guay was identified as “a supporter of the Liberal Party of Canada.”.The department did not explain why 10-year leases were necessary..A total 60,774 illegal immigrants crossed the Canada-U.S. border into Québec since 2017, the largest number of crossings in any province. However, from the peak of 5,530 illegal immigrants in August 2017 the number of monthly crossings fell sharply with the introduction of the Quarantine Act to as few as one individual in April 2020.
