As I write this column, the Ontario government has returned to Queen’s Park following the winter re-election of Doug Ford and the appointment of the new provincial cabinet. There are many familiar faces around the cabinet table, but also a few important changes with direct relevance to the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association (OFVGA) and to fruit and vegetable growers.

First and foremost, we congratulate Trevor Jones on his appointment as Ontario’s new Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness. As MPP for Chatham-Kent-Leamington, he represents a riding where agriculture – and horticulture in particular – is prominent in the local economy. He also served as Parliamentary Assistant to Lisa Thompson when she was Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs during the previous Ford government, so he is no stranger to the challenges and opportunities of our sector. 

Jones will bring energy to agriculture that is needed during these uncertain times, building on the success of his predecessor in the portfolio, Rob Flack. Flack has become Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing (MMAH), but we are confident he will continue to support our sector’s needs at the Cabinet table. Additionally, his new role with MMAH will help OFVGA champion our work on behalf of growers on temporary and seasonal worker housing and municipal challenges. 

Minister Jones is supported by two parliamentary assistants, Paul Vickers and Bill Rosenberg. 

Vickers is a newly elected MPP representing Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound, a riding home to much of the Georgian Bay area apple industry. A dairy farmer, Vickers is a past chair of Gay Lea and a former vice president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture. Rosenberg, a retired businessman and former deputy mayor and mayor, is also a first-term MPP, elected in the riding of Algoma Manitoulin. 

Also relevant to fruit and vegetable growers is Ontario’s new Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks Todd McCarthy. He covered the maternity leave of the previous minister at MECP, Andrea Khanjin, so he’s no stranger to the portfolio. 

OFVGA will be continuing its long-time work with MECP around Environmental Compliance Approvals for septic systems, which represent a considerable barrier to growers looking to build new worker housing.

So, what are the key issues OFVGA will be focusing on with the new government? We will continue to build on our provincial election priorities, which included: 

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• -  Establishing new policies for agricultural worker housing to address obstacles hindering the modernization of worker housing in Ontario, such as red tape around septic systems, lack of enabling policies and processes by municipal governments, as well as advocating for a cost-share support program for growers building or upgrading their worker housing.

• -  Protecting and promoting fruit and vegetable production by modernizing the Foodland Ontario program, prioritizing ‘local first’ for public sector procurement of fruits and vegetables and promoting policy alignment and barrier-free trade with the United States.

• -  Supporting the growth and modernization of fruit and vegetable farms by investing in critical rural infrastructure such as natural gas, three-phase power and reliable internet and cellular networks; providing alternatives and exemptions for development charges, permitting fees and municipal stormwater taxes; and supporting farms financially and through policy as they invest in climate change adaptation. 

And finally, of course, the topic that looms large over everyone these days: tariffs and trade. 

This situation brings with it a level of uncertainty rarely seen in recent decades and although we don’t know what the next few months and even years will bring, we do know we need to be prepared as best as possible. 

OFVGA just recently met with Minister Jones and emphasized the need to be proactively prepared for the impacts that may come our way from the trade war. This includes advocacy with the federal government to help protect our food system and ways the province can support our industry. While some of these discussions are for increased funding to support programs, there are additional steps the province can take. 

For example, we have long been urging all levels of government to apply an agri-food lens to policy and decision-making to help remove barriers and obstacles hindering the growth and profitability of our sector – and encouraging more collaboration between provincial ministries but also between provincial ministries and federal departments. 

We look forward to working closely with Minister Jones and his new cabinet colleagues as the trade and tariff situation continues to unfold.