Saskatchewan Housing Corporation reports $331K loss linked to fake vendor

Saskatchewan Legislative Building in Regina, on Monday, November 17, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Heywood Yu

A loss suffered by a northern Saskatchewan housing authority, which was previously reported to be “over $5,000,” has now been revealed to total $331,000.

In a loss report published Monday, the Saskatchewan Housing Corporation (SHC) reported the update to its 2023-24 report. The misappropriation of funds from 2019 to June 2023 included payments made to a fake vendor for work orders that were not completed.

According to the province, a manager with the Cumberland House Housing Authority was terminated in relation to the loss. A police investigation is ongoing, and an insurance company has accepted a claim for an amount that is under review.

The $331,000 fraud was not the only loss reported by SHC. A general manager with the Prince Albert Housing Authority was fired after they were found to be reimbursing themselves by altering invoices to the tune of $18,500 from 2020 to February of 2025. This was also previously reported to be in excess of $5,000.

They pleaded guilty and were sentenced to a four-month conditional sentence following by two years of probation. The former manager is required to pay back the $18,500 by Dec. 31, 2027. The SHC says $9,000 has been recovered so far.

Lastly, the La Ronge Regional Housing Authority lost $35,142.60 in March after banking information was changed by someone impersonating a supplier of the organization. The payments were then redirected to an inappropriate bank account.

A police investigation is underway.

Additionally, the Crown Investments Corporation (CIC) provided an update on a previously reported fuel theft scheme at SaskEnergy. The province reported $10,218.66 as the updated total of the loss.

The fuel thefts were mainly perpetrated in the Crown’s construction department.

According to CIC, the incidents have been reported to police and SaskEnergy is in the process of implementing enhanced controls in respect to fuel purchases.