Dozens of people have joined a certified class action alleging they were sexually assaulted at Nordik Spa Village in Chelsea, Que., in a lawsuit that implicates dozens of massage therapists who worked there over a 19-year period. According to the class action, filed in French in Quebec Superior Court, the popular spa just north of Ottawa and Gatineau, Que., is alleged to have improperly handled complaints and not done enough to inform and protect clients.

Lambert Avocats, the lawyers representing the plaintiffs, said 143 people contacted them in the last year saying they’d been sexually assaulted by massage therapists at Spa Nordik.

The lawsuit alleges wrongdoing by a total of 36 different massage therapists at the spa between 2007 and 2026. "People are generally pretty shocked to hear the numbers, but I think they’re also relieved to see something is being done about it and they have a recourse," said lawyer Philippe Brault.

The claims in the class action have not been tested in court. According to the lawsuit, several of the clients who raised allegations with Spa Nordik’s management were offered gift cards "to return to the establishment where they were sexually assaulted."

'It's disturbing, it's disgusting' The lawsuit focuses on a representative case that occurred in December 2024. CBC interviewed the woman at the centre of the complaint, who is not identified in court documents. CBC News is also not identifying her to respect the court process.

"It's disturbing, it's disgusting," she said of the number of complaints since the class action was initiated last summer.

"I represent all of the women, so that keeps me going. I want to represent them and let people know this is happening and this needs to be a situation that is managed, and these girls need to be protected and all women need to be protected and all people should be protected." According to the court documents, the woman paid for a massage and was assigned to a male massage therapist who instructed her to undress.

During the massage, he did not ease the pressure he applied despite being asked three times, according to the complaint.

It's also alleged that he touched the woman through his clothes with his stomach and genitals, and after placing a towel over her face began massaging her upper thighs.

The court documents allege Spa Nordik claimed its massage therapists were "independent contractors" and offered no apology or followup, and made no effort to prevent similar abuse following the complaint. "This is a matter of institutional negligence," said Brault. "We want Spa Nordik and other similar establishments to understand that they have a responsibility to ensure their clients’ safety to prevent these types of events taking place, and when they know about these situations to take the proper measures to stop the situations from happening." Client safety 'our highest priority,' spa says The application for the class action argues Spa Nordik would have been aware of previous allegations of sexual assault before the representative case in 2024, including cases that ended up in criminal court.

The class action argues the spa should have taken steps to improve vetting and training of massage therapists, and should have better informed clients about what to expect from its services and how to report any discomfort.

Spa Nordik told CBC News in a statement that the certification of the class action is not a judgment, and it plans to defend itself.

It said the spa has taken "all necessary measures to ensure a respectful, safe and trustworthy environment." "The safety and well-being of our guests, employees and professionals remain our highest priority," wrote Isabelle Mathieu, general manager of Nordik Spa Village.

She said the spa is unable to comment further given the ongoing legal proceedings.