$1 Billion Given to 3 Government Contractors Who Worked on ArriveCan: Documents

Documents Show $1 Billion Awarded to 3 Government Contractors for ArriveCan Project

May 13, 2024 TruthUSA

Three federal contractors who worked on the controversial ArriveCan app received a combined total of over $1 billion in federal contracts over the span of 13 years, as per documents provided to the Public Accounts Committee.

“After nine years of Trudeau, Canadians are lining up in record numbers at food banks, while government contractors are lining their pockets with taxpayer money,” Conservative MP Larry Brock stated on X on May 13.

According to records presented before the committee, Coradix secured 541 contracts worth $596.8 million between January 2011 and February 2024. Dalian received 445 contracts worth $127.8 million, GC Strategies received 105 contracts worth $100.3 million, and the combined total for Dalian and Coradix was 122 contracts amounting to $189.5 million.

Recent months have seen all three companies suspended from taking on further government contracts. Coradix reported having about 40 employees, while Dalian and GC Strategies mentioned having only two employees each.

The ArriveCan app, utilized for verifying the COVID-19 vaccination status of travellers, sparked controversy regarding federal procurement spending. A report from Auditor General Karen Hogan on Feb. 12 estimated the app’s cost at approximately $59.5 million, highlighting poor record-keeping and lack of available information about the app.

“I’ve been the auditor general for almost four years now, and I would tell you that this is probably some of the worst financial record-keeping that I’ve seen,” stated Ms. Hogan about ArriveCan.

GC Strategies and ArriveCan

When it came to ArriveCan, GC Strategies received an estimated $19.1 million, while Dalian received $7.9 million in partnership with Coradix. In October 2023, the RCMP confirmed an investigation into potential misconduct by the three companies.

A Montreal-based IT company named Botler AI, which collaborated on a 2019 Canada Border Services Agency pilot project and interacted with contractors tied to ArriveCan, claimed there was corruption, fraud, and extortion within the agency. The co-founders of Botler AI also alleged that their work contract was processed through Dalian without their consent.

Kristian Firth, managing partner at GC Strategies, faced accusations of falsifying the Botler AI co-founders’ resumes without their permission to secure government contracts. Mr. Firth claimed it was an error, sending the wrong versions of the resumes to officials.

On April 16, a day before Mr. Firth faced reprimands in the House of Commons for evading a government committee’s queries, the RCMP executed a search warrant at his residence. The RCMP clarified that the search warrant was unrelated to the ongoing ArriveCan inquiry.

Mr. Firth informed MPs in the House of Commons that the RCMP’s search warrant related to Botler AI’s allegations of “fraudulent bidding and resume fraud,” expressing confidence that the investigation would vindicate them.

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