A private rehabilitation facility located on Breezy Point Road in Muskoka is facing a $40-million lawsuit brought by three former clients who claim they suffered serious harm under its care.
Filed in Ontario Superior Court in Toronto, the civil suit names Muskoka Recovery Inc. and seven individuals connected to the centre as defendants. The plaintiffs — Kimberly Smith, Verna Pelletier, and Mathieu Collins — allege that the facility falsely advertised professional mental health and addiction services, charged substantial fees, and delivered care that left patients worse off. According to information first reported in an article by the Toronto Star’s Kevin Donovan, the plaintiffs are also asking the court to certify the case as a class action, which would allow others with similar experiences to join the legal action.
The legal action follows previous reporting that scrutinized the facility’s operations and uncovered concerns about unqualified personnel, unsupervised care, and serious patient safety issues. Muskoka Recovery had marketed itself as a high-end treatment centre offering round-the-clock medical attention and therapeutic support — services the plaintiffs say were not actually provided.
Among those named as defendants are Muskoka Recovery Inc.; owners Ewa Ricci and Ralph Canonaco; Corradina Canonaco; Damien Delaney, the facility’s clinical director; Christine Iskandar, who is alleged to have distributed medication while falsely claiming to be a nurse; Maheep Sehgal; and Kassandra Frank.
A particularly troubling case previously covered by The Star involves Dawn, a 44-year-old woman and mother of four who died just two weeks into her stay at Muskoka Recovery. She and her husband had chosen the facility after being reassured a doctor was on-site. The cost of her stay was $38,000, paid in advance. It was later revealed she did not receive consistent medical supervision and was reportedly under-medicated for an existing seizure condition. Her husband has since called for a provincial inquest into her death, citing public safety concerns.
The plaintiffs, in their own claims, describe enduring verbal abuse, emotional trauma, and inappropriate handling of medications. Collins alleges that rather than being supported during episodes of suicidal ideation, he was belittled. Smith says she experienced a pattern of mistreatment that included sexual misconduct by someone presented as a therapist. Pelletier alleges that her daughter was left without oversight and encountered substances she was meant to be recovering from.
The three plaintiffs are requesting the case be certified as a class action, which would enable others who believe they were similarly affected to participate in the lawsuit. The court will need to determine whether the case meets the criteria for certification. That decision will follow a hearing, for which no date has yet been scheduled.
