Private Investigations

Northeastern is an Atlantic Canada based corporation that handles enquiries locally, nationally and internationally.  Since 1983 our foundation has been built on our Investigation division and continues to rely on this aspect of the business to provide a solid base for future growth and development.

Our clients choose Northeastern based on our experience, reliability, leadership and commitment. Knowing that reputation is a key characteristic that is sought by those in the corporate, insurance and legal industries, we conduct our investigations with the proper integrity and confidentiality.

Some of the many investigative services we offer are:

General Investigations		Corporate Services		Surveillance
Intellectual Property & Asset Investigations Interviews & Statement Taking Criminal & Civil Investigations Interviews & Statement Taking Background Investigations Execution of Anton Pillar Orders and Mareva Injunctions Missing Persons Asset Location		Labour Issues Trademark infringement Security Audits and Surveys Pre-Employment Screening Loss Prevention		Activity Checks Insurance Claim Investigation

At Northeastern we adhere to legislation as well as regulations pertaining to private investigators in all matters.  Privacy regulations have evolved in our country and have been in a state of change for several years at federal and provincial levels.  We have maintained a high level of currency in these areas, to protect the information your are receiving.   Our managers have taken a leadership role in the Council of Private Investigators – Atlantic Canada for many years.

What We Investigate

Insurance and disability claims. Surveillance and activity checks for insurers, employers and legal counsel where reported limitations are in question — documented objectively, including evidence that supports the claimant. An investigator who only ever finds what the client hoped for isn’t producing evidence; they’re producing a liability.

Workplace investigations. Internal theft, time theft, policy violations, and conduct complaints. These require particular care around employee rights, privacy obligations and — where applicable — collective agreement provisions. We coordinate with HR and counsel rather than working around them. [CONFIRM: harassment/human-rights investigation scope]

Corporate and due diligence. Background verification, pre-employment checks, asset and corporate record research, and integrity checks before a partnership or acquisition.

Loss prevention and internal theft. Where inventory is disappearing and the cause is unclear, investigation often combines covert observation with a review of your video surveillance and access control records — one of the practical advantages of a firm that handles both.

Locates and skip tracing. Finding individuals for service of documents, debt recovery or legal proceedings.

Fraud investigation. Fraudulent claims, false documentation and financial irregularities.

How an Investigation Runs

Consultation. We establish what you actually need to know, what evidence would answer it, and whether an investigation is the right tool. Sometimes it isn’t, and we’ll say so before you spend money.

Scope and authorization. A written scope: objectives, methods, estimated hours and cost, and the legal basis for the work. This protects both sides and prevents the open-ended engagement that gives the industry a bad name.

Fieldwork. Surveillance, interviews, record research and evidence gathering, conducted lawfully and documented contemporaneously. Investigators keep detailed notes as they go, because notes written a week later are worth far less if the file is ever tested.

Reporting. A written report of findings supported by evidence — video, photographs, documents, chronology — and written to be read by a third party: an adjuster, a judge, an arbitrator, an HR panel. Findings are stated as findings; inference is identified as inference.

Testimony. Where a matter proceeds, our investigators can testify to their observations and methods. Knowing at the outset that the work may be tested in a hearing is precisely what keeps it disciplined.

What Realistic Expectations Look Like

Investigations are sold badly across this industry, so it’s worth being direct about what the work can and cannot deliver.

Surveillance takes time and produces nothing on many days. A subject who is genuinely limited will spend most days doing very little, and a subject who isn’t may still spend three days indoors. Meaningful surveillance is measured in days, not hours, and anyone quoting a guaranteed result in a fixed number of hours is either inexperienced or telling you what you want to hear.

There is never a guaranteed outcome. We can guarantee method, diligence and documentation. We cannot guarantee that the evidence will support your theory of the case — and when it doesn’t, we will tell you. A report that quietly omits inconvenient observations is worthless the moment opposing counsel finds them.

Cost is driven by hours, and hours by scope. Broad instructions produce broad bills. The single most effective way to control cost is to define precisely what question you need answered, and we’ll help you narrow it before the meter starts.

Some things simply cannot be obtained lawfully. Bank records, medical files, telephone records and cell location data are not available to private investigators without legal process. If those are what you need, the route is through counsel and the courts, and we’ll tell you so rather than taking your money.

Working With Counsel, Insurers and HR

Most of our investigative work sits alongside a professional who is managing a larger matter, and the coordination matters as much as the fieldwork.

With legal counsel. Where litigation is underway or contemplated, being retained through counsel can bring the work within privilege — a meaningful advantage that is difficult to obtain retroactively. Talk to your lawyer before instructing an investigator, not after.

With insurers and adjusters. Claims work has its own evidentiary conventions and reporting formats, and reports that ignore them create delay. We produce documentation intended to go directly into a claims file.

With HR and employee relations. Workplace investigations carry obligations that have nothing to do with catching anyone: procedural fairness, privacy, and in unionized environments the terms of the collective agreement. Investigations that ignore these tend to collapse at arbitration, taking the employer’s position with them. We work in step with HR and counsel rather than presenting them with a result they then have to defend.

What to have ready when you call. A clear statement of what you need to know, relevant dates and locations, any documentation you already hold, and the names of others involved — counsel, adjuster, HR lead. A fifteen-minute conversation at the outset routinely saves several hours of fieldwork.

Licensing, Privacy and the Limits of the Law

Private investigators in Nova Scotia are licensed under the Private Investigators and Private Guards Act, with equivalent regimes in New Brunswick and PEI. Northeastern and its investigators hold the required licences in the jurisdictions where we work, and the company is a member of the International Association of Security and Investigative Regulators (IASIR). [CONFIRM: current licences by province]

What licensing does not confer is police authority. Investigators have no power of arrest beyond that of any citizen, cannot compel anyone to answer questions, and cannot access private records — bank, medical, telephone — without lawful authority. Surveillance is conducted from public vantage points and does not extend into places where a person has a reasonable expectation of privacy. Recording and information handling follow PIPEDA.

Any firm willing to ignore those limits for you will eventually cost you far more than they charge: evidence excluded, a claim compromised, a wrongful-dismissal exposure, or a privacy complaint. We won’t take that kind of instruction, which is occasionally an uncomfortable conversation and always the right one.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is everything confidential?

Yes. Files are handled on a need-to-know basis, and we do not discuss client matters. Note that confidentiality is not privilege — where litigation is contemplated, retaining us through counsel may extend privilege to the work. Ask your lawyer.

What does a private investigation cost?

Most work is hourly, and cost depends on the type of investigation, hours required and travel. Surveillance in particular is time-intensive — days can pass without the activity you’re looking for. We provide an estimated scope and cost in writing before starting. [CONFIRM: publishable hourly range]

Can you investigate an employee?

Yes, within legal limits, and best done with HR and counsel involved from the start. Workplace investigations that ignore employee rights or collective agreement provisions tend to fail exactly when they matter.

Will the evidence hold up in court or arbitration?

That’s the standard we work to: lawful methods, contemporaneous notes, documented chain of custody, and investigators able to testify to their observations.

Do you handle family or personal matters?

We take on personal matters, typically locates and civil disputes. We do not accept work whose purpose is to harass, intimidate or stalk, regardless of how it’s framed.

How soon can you start?

Often within days, depending on the type of investigation and investigator availability. Time-sensitive matters should be discussed as early as possible — evidence degrades and memories fade. [CONFIRM: typical lead time]

You may use our form on the contact page to request a confidential estimate at your discretion, or you may contact us at 902-435-1336 to speak with one of our confidential Investigation Managers about our services.