Jamaican farmworkers, Canadian employers celebrated

Twenty-two Jamaican farmworkers and 21 employers were honoured for outstanding service at a reception in The Blue Mountains, Ontario, marking the 60th anniversary of the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Programme (SAWP) in Canada.

Many of the workers recognised have spent more than 15 years in the programme. The longest-serving participant has been involved for 38 years. Among the employers honoured were Dorsey Farms, which has employed Jamaican workers since SAWP’s launch in 1966; Oaklane Orchards, which joined in 1967; and G.H. Lambe & Son, a participant since 1968.

For many workers, the programme has been life-changing.

Stephen Salmon, who has worked at G.H. Lambe & Son in Meaford, Ontario for 32 years, described SAWP as a valuable opportunity. Over the decades, his earnings helped cover family expenses during some of the most difficult periods of his life, including funeral costs, his children’s education, and the construction of his home.

“If I take sick back home, this is what finance me. This is everything to me because nobody will employ me back home because of the time that I spent here. I have to make a job for myself ,so this is a blessing.”

For employers, Jamaican workers have long been integral to the success of their operations.

David Lambe of G.H. Lambe & Son said his grandfather and father first brought six Jamaican workers to the farm when the company joined the programme. While other orchards recruited workers from Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago, the number of Jamaican workers employed by the family business eventually grew to 41 during the 1990s.

“We could not have been in the business or got our crops picked without the offshore Jamaican programme. They benefit from the wages we pay them and, in 1968 when we started out, they were making CAD$2.40 an hour. They were just tickled to death that they could take that money home or take products home that they bought with their wages that they could not afford in Jamaica.”

Addressing the reception, Minister of Labour and Social Security Pearnel Charles Jr praised the farmworkers for representing Jamaica with distinction over six decades.

“You are what is good about us, and your diligence, determination, and hard work have caused many that have interacted with you to choose Jamaica.”

Charles described the six-decade relationship forged through the programme as a cornerstone of diplomacy between Jamaica and Canada.

“It is the springboard of understanding that allows Jamaica and Canada to walk down that road together. When we need support, we don’t have to turn and ask. There are countless stories, particularly since Hurricane Melissa.”

MODEL FOR COOPERATION

Doré Charbonneau, director in the Agriculture and International Relations Division at Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), said the programme remains a model of international cooperation, helping to meet labour demands while supporting economic growth in agricultural communities.

“The programme’s success reflects the important collaboration among so many: governments, employers, industry partners, communities, worker representatives. Each of you plays an important role in its ongoing evolution.”

She said the anniversary offered an opportunity both to celebrate past achievements and to reaffirm the partnerships needed to sustain the programme’s future.

“Looking ahead, this will continue to guide our efforts as we work together to support a sustainable programme for the future.”

Althea Riley, chief liaison officer at the Jamaican Liaison Service, said the bilateral agreement has created opportunities for Jamaican workers while supporting Canada’s agricultural industry and food security.

“This anniversary is more than a celebration of longevity of an agreement. It is a celebration of the partnership built on trust, mutual respect, shared responsibility, and an unwavering commitment to improving the lives of thousands of Jamaican families and Canadian communities.”

She added that SAWP had become one of the most successful and enduring labour mobility programmes in the world, attributing its longevity to governments, liaison officers, agricultural stakeholders, employers and the thousands of Jamaican workers whose efforts have earned widespread respect across Canada.

Describing the farmworkers as Jamaica’s ambassadors to Canada, Paul Vickers, Member of Provincial Parliament for Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound, said the strong ties between workers and employers demonstrated the value of cooperation between the two countries.

Peter Bordignon, deputy mayor of The Blue Mountains, said seasonal workers remain essential to the region’s agricultural sector and local economy.

“The agricultural industry is an important part of our identity. It’s important to our local economy, it brings visitors, it produces high-quality food that we all know and enjoy. None of this would be made possible without the dedicated seasonal workers who return to Canada each year.”

He added that the longstanding relationship had strengthened the economy and enriched the community.

The event also paused to remember Jamaican farmworkers who died earlier this year. Robert Shuh, president of Foreign Agricultural Resource Management Services (F.A.R.M.S.), paid tribute to them and expressed sympathy to their families.

Meanwhile, Alison Robertson, executive director of the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association, said the visit by Minister Charles underscored his commitment to the workers, the programme and the partnership between the two countries.

“Lately, the news has been full of toxic and disrespectful headlines, so it just feels uplifting to celebrate a wonderful programme built on partnerships, trust and friendship,” she said.

Jamaica’s High Commissioner to Canada, Marsha Coore Lobban, described SAWP as a flagship bilateral programme and commended the Jamaican Liaison Service for its contribution to its success.

The occasion also had a charitable element. The Georgian Bay Fruit Growers Association presented a cheque for more than CAD$29,000 to the Ministry of Labour and Social Security to support farmworkers affected by Hurricane Melissa.

editorial@gleanerjm.com