Dozens of personal files have been discovered in a dumpster outside a west-end restaurant. The files included the personal information of past employees.
The dumpster outside the Twisted Kilt has now been emptied out, but Thursday morning it was full of several boxes of documents that included the personal information of former staff members, not of the Twisted Kilt, but other restaurants that used to call the space home.
The documents included names, addresses, social insurance numbers and payroll information for dozens of staff.
The boxes were found in a storage shed on the roof, then accidentally thrown out by construction workers renovating the Twisted Kilt.
The dumpster was nearly hauled away until CTV News alerted management to the sensitive material, and at that point taken back inside.
Twisted Kilt management says the information was left behind by previous owners.
"Whether Shark Club should have done it or not we're going to take responsibility on their behalf and make sure that information is destroyed so it cant get out to anyone," said James Perry, with Twisted Kilt.
Angela Anderson is one of potentially hundreds of Albertans whose information was found in the dumpster. Her record of employment from a Fort McMurray Moxie's dating back more than 10 years was found in the dumpster.
"First sense was shock that it's actually out there but nonetheless then it made me sick," she said.
Privacy commissioner Frank Work is appalled by the discovery. He says the information was recklessly left behind and could have been used for identity theft.
"The act requires you take reasonable security precautions for the information in your possession and they didn't do that," said Work.
Shark Club officials blame the franchise owner at the time and tell CTV News he was previously involved in Moxie's restaurants in both Fort McMurray and Grande Prairie.
"Absolutely shocked it's not the standard or the protocol we have as a company," said Jim Jim Weidinger, VP of Shark Club operations.
Anderson is concerned of what could still happen.
"It could be someone taking my identity they could be filing for social security benefits, taking my Alberta Health Care numbers... it's very serious."
But there will likely be no consequences for this under Alberta law as there's no's penalty for a breach such as this unless victims are actually harmed.
Although, this is something Work wants changed. He says the province should impose a fine.
The documents found Thursday are set to be shredded as soon as possible.
With files from Scott Roberts
