Aimee Carriere reflects on her experience hiring a contractor and acknowledges she did not conduct her usual thorough research. She believed she could trust Alan Hrehirchuk because their children played hockey together. Additionally, Hrehirchuk had previously worked for another hockey family and claimed to have a celebrity endorsement from the HGTV show _Property Brothers_. "I was like, what's the harm? I'll see him every day. It's just a couple exterior doors and two small bathrooms. Where can he go, right?" Carriere said.

Carriere hired Hrehirchuk in May 2024. However, by the summer, she began to have concerns. Work was not progressing, tradespeople were not being compensated, and items that were supposed to be purchased were missing. Ultimately, Carriere paid Hrehirchuk $40,000 and an additional $10,000 to settle unpaid bills for tradespeople. To cover the costs of completing the unfinished work, she even cashed in her registered retirement savings plans (RRSPs). What was initially budgeted at $50,000 ended up costing her over $100,000. "This has hindered us for sure — no vacation, no roof, no nothing. It's disheartening," Carriere stated.

After exhausting her options with Hrehirchuk, Carriere contacted the police. In July, Hrehirchuk was charged with fraud over $5,000 and failing to comply with a Service Alberta director's order that prohibited him from operating as a pre-paid contractor. This order was issued in October 2023 after an investigation revealed he had violated the province's Consumer Protection Act by having clients sign contracts that were excessively one-sided.

In April 2024, Hrehirchuk pleaded guilty to forgery, while the fraud charges were withdrawn. He had been accused of forging invoices from subcontractors and defrauding a couple who claimed to have spent over $100,000 on work that was never completed. A judge granted him a conditional discharge, meaning the conviction would not appear on his record. This plea occurred just one month before he took on Carriere's project.

Carriere advises others to thoroughly research contractors before hiring them. "Even if you think you know somebody or you have the same circle of friends, Google someone for sure. At the very least, just Google them and find out everything you possibly can," she said.

Hrehirchuk is scheduled to appear in court on new charges on August 26. His lawyer has declined to comment on the latest allegations. In a previous court appearance, Hrehirchuk expressed remorse for his actions, stating, "I'm truly sorry. I screwed up majorly, and it's cost me pretty much everything."

Justice Harry Van Harten noted the significant financial losses suffered by the victims, which included the need to hire a second contractor to complete the renovations. Prosecutors had sought a conditional sentence that included house arrest and a curfew. Hrehirchuk's defense attorney argued that the situation was not a typical contractor scam, claiming the business had expanded too quickly, leading to financial difficulties.