Guilty verdict against Peter Nygard in Toronto prompts new calls for inquiry in Manitoba

Peter Nygard's conviction for sexual assault in Toronto has renewed calls for an investigation into how Manitoba justice officials handled allegations against him in this province.  

On Sunday, a Toronto jury found Nygard guilty of four counts of sexual assault following a six-week trial. He was acquitted of one of five counts of sexual assault and one count of forcible confinement.

Nygard still faces charges in other jurisdictions, including Manitoba.

In July, Winnipeg police announced sexual assault-related charges against him in connection with offences allegedly committed in November 1993, involving a person who was then 20 years old.

Winnipeg police initially opened their investigation into Nygard in June 2020 and submitted eight cases for consideration to Manitoba prosecutors, who decided at that point not to pursue criminal charges.

The Manitoba charges were laid after the matter was forwarded to Saskatchewan Justice for an independent review in December 2022.

Serena Hickes says the former fashion mogul, who began his business in Manitoba, raped her at one of his retail outlets in Winnipeg, where she worked in 1992. She was one of eight women who reported her story to Winnipeg police, but Nygard was never charged in her case. 

Hickes said she's been pleading with the Manitoba government to launch an inquiry into what happened in this province. 

"This is where he started. This is where he perfected it," she alleged. 

"There's a lot of people that are still alive that helped him."

At the very least, Hickes says she wants a meeting with Premier Wab Kinew and Justice Minister Matt Wiebe to tell them her story.

"I just want some damn hope that I did this — and I knew there was never going to be a case here — but [that] our government would take us seriously," she said. 

"I've lost so much." 

In addition to the Winnipeg charges, Nygard is set to stand trial on sexual assault charges in Quebec next year.

He is also appealing an extradition order to the United States, where he faces sex trafficking and racketeering charges.

His next court date in Manitoba is scheduled for Dec. 8. 

Nygard had pleaded not guilty to all of the charges in his Toronto trial and has consistently denied all allegations against him. 

'There's been some real missteps'

The fact Nygard is still facing criminal charges shouldn't prevent an inquiry from moving forward, said Shannon Moroney, a therapist who has worked with many of the survivors.

"These women have been waiting for 30, 40 — more than 40 years for justice, to even know that they somehow matter. How can we ask them to wait a day longer?" she said. 

"Surely in Canada we have enough bright minds, enough resources … to be able to start up an inquiry at the same time as a case is before the court."

She said the lack of other charges against Nygard in Manitoba has had devastating consequences for some of the women she works with. 

That's made them feel as if they don't matter, and has even led to thoughts of suicide for some, she said.

KC Allan, a former model who grew up in Winnipeg, says that Nygard raped her in 1979 when she was 17 years old. She went public in 2020 and gave a statement to Winnipeg police, but no charges have been laid in her case. 

Following Sunday's verdict, Allan said she thinks there have been many failures in how accusations against Nygard have been handled. 

"This entire case sort of exposed the … soft underbelly of the Canadian justice system. I think there's been some real missteps."

A spokesperson for the province said the recently elected NDP government is "committed to working with front-line organizations and survivors to better support them as they come forward with allegations."

But in cases such as Nygard's, "it's critical we do not jeopardize a possible conviction," the spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

"With that in mind, we will allow Manitoba's judicial process to continue."