COVID-19

Federal Government Announces Support for Food Supply Chain

On April 13, 2020, the Federal government announced $50 million in financial support for the food supply chain.

In a news release from the department of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the government announced financial support for farmers, fish harvesters, and all food production and processing employers in order to ensure foreign workers arriving in Canada are able to follow the mandatory 14-day self-isolation period. This initiative is intended to help protect the health and safety of Canadians while also safeguarding the strength of Canada’s food supply chain which relies on temporary foreign workers.

The announcement confirms that the federal government will provide support of $1500 for each temporary foreign worker, to employers, or those working with them to ensure compliance with the self-isolation protocols. The funding is conditional on employers not being found to be in breach of the self-isolation protocols or other public health order and will be available while the Quarantine Act is in force.

The Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship was quoted in the news release as follows:

“Temporary foreign workers have been an integral part of the Canadian workforce and food supply chain for decades. Today’s announcement will help to protect the health of Canadians, while ensuring a steady labour supply to support our economy and ensure our food security during these extraordinary times…”

If you have any questions about this article, please contact Sari Wiens, Ilan Burkes, Nicole Toye or Jessica Fairbairn.


Note to our Readers: Information regarding COVID-19 is rapidly evolving. We are working to bring you up-to-date articles as the legal issues develop and to keep our previous posts updated. Given that the legal issues related to COVID-19 are constantly changing, if you are looking for legal advice or are dealing with an issue in relation to COVID-19, please contact your Harris lawyer or a member of our COVID-19 response team: Sari Wiens, Ilan BurkesNicole Toye or Jessica Fairbairn.

To read our most recent articles and other updates on COVID-19, visit our COVID-19 Updates page.