Канада и Ямайка отметили 60-летие программы сезонных сельскохозяйственных рабочих

By Neil Armstrong Several farm workers in the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Programme (SAWP) beamed with pride in The Blue Mountains, Ontario, at a diamond jubilee award reception celebrating the bond between Jamaica and Canada under the theme “60 Years Strong: Building Partnerships – Shaping Futures.” The 22 workers were recognized for their outstanding years of service with the programme ranging from 11 to 38 years. Twenty-one employers, some of whom have been participating since 1966, were also celebrated. Stephen Salmon, who has worked at G. H. Lambe & Son in Meaford, Ontario, for 32 years, said the money he earned over that time was used to pay for his children’s education, to build his house, as well as to bury his first son, wife, parents, and daughter when they died. David Lambe of G. H. Lambe & Son said when his grandfather and father first participated in the SAWP they brought up six Jamaican workers. Other orchards were taking workers from Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago. Since then, the number of workers grew to 41 in the 1990s. “We could not have been in the business or got our crops picked without the offshore Jamaican programme,” he said. Jamaica’s Minister of Labour and Social Security, Pearnel Charles, Jr., who attended the celebration said 60 years have established that there is evidence the SAWP “has worked, is working and will continue to work.” He thanked those with whom he met on his visit for being advocates for it. “This programme is important to us which is why we have also put together a group of professionals that are committed and that at every opportunity remind me that their work is not nine-to-five,” he said, noting sometimes they are at the airport at 1:00 a.m. and receiving calls at different times of the day. He said the Jamaican Liaison Service, under the leadership of Althea Riley, Chief Liaison Officer, is the reason difficulties on many of the farms are resolved and why he does not have to intervene in most of the issues. Minister Charles said employers have advised him that they respect and appreciate the work of the liaison service. “It is a design that has worked and it is a design that we know will continue to work as we prioritize the welfare of our farm workers, as well as the welfare of our employers.” Charles said the ministry has improved its orientation process to make sure that it provides as much support as possible in the right selection. “Jamaica over the last 60 years has not remained stagnant, it has been 60 years of experience and 60 years of constructive criticism, learning lessons, and making sure that we implement and adjust every year following an annual report,’ he said. Riley noted that as six decades of partnership was being honoured, it was important to “reaffirm our shared commitment to ensure that the programme continues to evolve in ways that protect workers, support employers, and strengthen the bonds between our two nations for generations to come.” To mark the 60th anniversary, the ministry has launched 60 scholarships for the children of farm workers for the 2026-2027 academic year. This is being developed with the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association. #Jamaica #Canada #SAWP #JamaicanFarmWorkers #Ontario #Agriculture #FarmWorkers #JamaicanDiaspora #CaribbeanCanadian #CaribbeanCamera