Following the 2022 budget, the Government of Canada has been exploring the creation of a new agriculture specific TFW stream which is proposed to amalgamate the SAWP, Ag Stream, low and high wage into one – The Temporary Foreign Worker Agriculture and Fish Processing Stream.

Since the fall of 2024, discussion papers have been released on the main changes that the Government of Canada is proposing. The Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association (OFVGA) with feedback from commodity representatives on the labour committee and Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada (FVGC) have been actively responding to these papers as they have been released. 

Main objective and theme of all responses: To keep the SAWP program separate from this new proposed stream and maintain the same rules and processes that have been in existence for decades that are supported by employers, workers and their home countries.

A summary of the discussion papers is below. The discussion papers themselves can be found here https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/92q6gm69pykksyvy3atle/Sarah-PDFs.zip?rlkey=ycv3u243lao0ppri685zquiv0&st=9d7is9ue&dl=0
 

Occupational Scope 

This paper speaks to the amalgamation under one Agricultural stream. Primary Agriculture, Seasonal Fish and Seafood, and Seasonal Fruit and Vegetable Processing workers would all be under the new stream.  OFVGA responded with the main objective: maintain SAWP and keep separate from any other stream.

Worker Accommodations

This paper proposes to require all employers under the new stream to provide housing for workers and establishes 12 basic accommodation requirements. These requirements pose nothing that is not already being done or exceeded through the SAWP bilateral agreements with the host countries and local health units.  

The following papers: Sector Specific Work Permit, Wages and Deductions and Transportation are the most significant in scope and proposed policy changes.  Feedback submissions to these consultation papers are due by April 30th.  OFVGA is actively consulting with its commodity reps through the labour committee on the responses to these papers over the next couple of weeks. 
 

Sector Specific Work Permit

Allowing a worker to have a two-year work permit, workers can change employers throughout that two-year term to any position or any province in the amalgamated stream. 

Wages and Deductions

Proposing alternatives to establishing wages (regional median wages as established on Canada Job Bank), options on allowing housing cost deductions from workers.
 

Transportation 

This white paper discusses alternative models for worker arrival/departure transportation costs and transfer of workers. The SAWP model is mentioned but also new models such as a centrally managed pool.

Health Care

This white paper discusses the current approach which can be very different in each province with respect to coverage, wait times for coverage etc.  For Ontario workers, coverage is immediate. Extended health care coverage through worker deductions (Cowan) is already in place through the SAWP contract requirements and many other local options supporting workers exist (i.e. Quest, OHCOW clinics).

Heading towards the federal election on April 28th, growers are encouraged to connect with their federal candidates to reiterate the importance of maintaining the SAWP that has been in existence for more than 50 years.

Source:  Grape Growers of Ontario April 14, 2025 news bulletin