His name is Peter Nygård. Almost everything about him seems larger than life. There’s the fashion business that clothes millions of women that’s made him one of the richest people in Canada. Then there’s his palatial tropical estate and the lavish lifestyle he lives there.
Over the years, Peter Nygård’s image as a public figure has been carefully crafted: The self made man, the corporate visionary, the olympic athlete and the philanthropist with awards declaring him an exemplary Canadian. It’s all part of the Nygård brand.
But for some who’ve worked for him inside his company, behind that public image there’s another Peter Nygård. What happened to them raises issues that are often hidden by silence and secrecy – about workplace bullying and harassment and the toll they can take.
“The truth has to come out,” says Pat Prowse, a former Director of Human Resources with the company. “And people need to know what they are supporting when they buy those products."
