As Ontario fruit and vegetable growers move into another busy growing season, the federal government's redesign of Canada's temporary foreign worker programs remains one of the most important policy files facing our sector.
The process has been underway for some time now, and while many details are still being worked through, one thing remains clear: growers need a reliable, experienced seasonal workforce if we are going to continue producing food here in Canada.
That message has been at the centre of the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association’s (OFVGA) discussions with federal officials, and it will continue to guide our advocacy as the redesign process moves forward.
This year also marks the 60th anniversary of the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP), a milestone that offers an important reminder as governments consider future changes. The program has evolved considerably since the first group of Jamaican workers arrived in Ontario in 1966 to help harvest apples.
Today, it is one of Canada's longest-running international labour partnerships and a critical component of our food production system. More importantly, it is a program that has demonstrated its value over six decades.
Every year, thousands of workers from Jamaica, Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean travel to Canada through SAWP. Thousands more come through other agricultural streams of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. Together, they help plant, grow, harvest, pack and ship the fruits and vegetables Canadians rely on.
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