1. You never pay to find work
VBC North never charges job seekers — not to search, not to apply, not to be helped, and not as a condition of being introduced to an employer. Employers pay us; job seekers do not. If anyone ever asks you to pay in VBC North’s name, stop and report it to info@vbcnorth.ca.
2. We are a licensed Ontario recruiter
VBC North Inc holds a recruiter licence under Ontario’s Employment Standards Act, 2000 (licence REC-0000019755, valid to 26 October 2028), issued by the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. Licensing means the province has vetted us — you are not dealing with an anonymous board.
You can verify our licence on the Ministry’s public register of licensed recruiters and temporary help agencies. In Ontario, employers and other recruiters are not allowed to knowingly use an unlicensed recruiter.
3. Direct hire only
We recruit for direct-hire roles. When you are hired, you become the employer’s own employee. We do not supply temporary agency workers and we do not act as an employer of record.
4. Your rights under the Employment Standards Act
A recruiter cannot charge you a fee for finding or trying to find you work. You are also protected from reprisal: no one may intimidate or penalise you for asking about or asserting your rights under the Employment Standards Act, 2000.
If you have a concern, you can contact the Ministry’s Employment Standards Information Centre or file a claim with the Ministry.
5. Extra protections if you are a foreign national
If you are a foreign national, the Employment Protection for Foreign Nationals Act, 2009 (EPFNA) gives you extra protection. Recruiters and employers cannot charge you any fee, or recover any costs from you, for helping you find work or for hiring you (a narrow exception exists for certain seasonal agricultural workers).
When we first make contact with you about work, we will give you — as soon as is practicable — the Ministry’s information sheet on your rights under the EPFNA and the Employment Standards Act. If the Ministry has published a translation in your language, we will give you that too.
You are protected from reprisal for asking about or asserting your EPFNA rights, and you can file an EPFNA claim with the Ministry within three and a half years of an alleged violation. Employers must keep records of any recruiter they used and what they paid.
6. Fair, lawful job postings
Postings on VBC North must follow Ontario law. That means showing the expected pay or pay range, not requiring “Canadian experience”, disclosing where artificial intelligence is used to screen or select applicants, and never discriminating on grounds protected by the Ontario Human Rights Code (such as race, place of origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, family status or disability).
7. Your privacy
You control what you share and who sees it. Employers see your full application and contact details only when you apply to their role; candidate search shows only limited profile details and only if you turn on “Open to work”. You can withdraw consent at any time. Our Privacy policy explains this in full and how to reach the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada if you are not satisfied with how we handled your information.
8. Watch out for job scams
A genuine employer or recruiter on VBC North will never ask you to pay to apply or to be hired, and will never ask for your banking information or Social Insurance Number simply to apply. If you are asked for any of these, do not send them — report it to us at info@vbcnorth.ca.
9. How to raise a concern
Start by contacting us at info@vbcnorth.ca. For employment-standards or foreign-national concerns, contact the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (the Employment Standards Information Centre, or a claim). For discrimination, you can contact the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal. For privacy, you can contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (priv.gc.ca).
10. Contact us
Questions about your rights: email info@vbcnorth.ca.