More former employees of Dutchie’s Fresh Market in Waterloo are coming forward with claims they haven’t been paid. When the final Dutchie’s location closed on Saturday Nov. 1st a CTV Kitchener reporter went to the store to take footage of the location. While there, a person who identified themselves as a Dutchie’s employee approached the CTV reporter and said he was not being paid and needed help. Walliullah’s Story Walliullah, 18, is originally from Afghanistan. His family fled the country to Pakistan in 2021 after the Taliban came back into power. “The Afghanistan situation is not good, that’s why we had to move there to make a better life,” Walliullah explained. While in Pakistan, Walliullah said his family sponsored him to immigrate to Canada. He had hoped to go back to school once he arrived, but first, he had to find work to support himself and his family back in Pakistan. “I’m sending money to my mom bi-weekly. She’s in Pakistan. She’s in a hospital. I have to send money for her operation.” Walliullah said he started working at Dutchie’s Fresh Market in March 2025. He said after two weeks of working long hours, he confronted the company’s business director Michael Renkema about his pay. “Then he made me one cheque - he didn’t make my full hours and I asked him, ‘I worked more than this.’ He say, ‘No, I’m not paying for you guys because there’s no customer, it’s not busy,’” Walliullah recounted. In total Walliullah claims he is owed over $9,000 in wages. He said he did not think this type of situation was possible in Canada. “When I came to Canada, when I saw the people, the religion, the culture - I love them. But not Mike, he is [a] really bad person.” Fortuna’s Story Recent high school graduate Fortuna, 18, worked at Dutchie’s Fresh Market in Waterloo from August to September. She said her family immigrated to Canada from Eritrea in 2021. She said she is owed approximately $700 for three weeks of unpaid work. “He didn’t give me [a cheque] for three weeks. Before he was giving me [a cheque] but he was taking back the money, the cheque, and we were fighting,” Fortuna said. Fortuna is going to college to study nursing in January and said she could use the money to help cover the costs. Roy’s Story Unlike the young recent immigrants, Roy has lived in Canada for several decades after immigrating from Guyana. Roy owned a small Caribbean grocery store in Kitchener, but recently shut it down. He said he was looking for some part-time work to help fund his retirement. “My plan was, after I closed my store, I get some money. I said I’m going to go back home and retire … so that was my retirement, but it didn’t work out,” Roy said. According to Roy, he thought he was picking up a part-time job at Dutchie’s, but said after working a few shifts, he was put in charge of the store. “I’ve been starting to put it in like 60, 70, almost 80 hours a week. I’m alone to run the whole store because people are coming and quitting. People are quitting all the time,” Roy said. He said after the first two weeks, payment was always irregular, inconsistent, insufficient or simply never made. Roy said he tried to use sympathy to get Renkema to pay his wages. “One time my cousin passed away. I had to tell him my brother passed away just to get someone to give me a cheque. He looked at his brother, him and his brother, and they smile and they give me a cheque for $1,441.” But Roy said it was short-lived victory. “Three days after, the cheque bounce, every cheque he give me bounce, every one.” All three employees who spoke with CTV News said they received a cheque, only to later find out the deposit had a “stopped” notice, indicating the cheque had been revoked by the person who issued it. Roy said he knew better than to keep going back, but wanted to get what he was owed. “You always have about 4 or 5 weeks pay behind, so for you to get that you have to come back or else you wouldn’t get it … towards the end and I say enough is enough, I’m going to have to cut my loss,” said Roy. What’s Next All three former employees said they issued a complaint with the Ministry of Labour, and are hopeful they can get their owed wages. Michael Renkema did not wish to comment on the record about these allegations. In a social post addressing the closure of Dutchie’s Fresh Market’s Waterloo location the company said, in part, “…this closure will allow Mike to focus on his health and other commitments, including those to former employees, suppliers, and others. Mike will honor all promises made to employees and suppliers.”
