The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing nearly $1.8-million over two years to provide international agricultural workers (IAWs) in Ontario with enhanced access to mental health supports in Spanish, Tagalog, French and English.
Delivered by the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), Ontario Division, in close partnership with its Windsor-Essex and Brant-Haldimand-Norfolk regional branches, the International Agricultural Worker Wellness Program will support IAWs with managing stress, homesickness and isolation.
The program will provide referrals to free local services, including recreational activities, primary care, counselling, support groups, in-person workshops, and more, Provincial officials say.
“Working far from home can be tough, and it’s so important that our international agricultural workers have access to the mental health supports they need,” said the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, in a press release.
“Through the IAW Wellness Program, we can better support these workers with tailored programs and services so they can continue to help us deliver top-quality products to Canadians, and the world.”
“Ontario respects and appreciates the international agricultural workers who call our province home and who contribute so much to our almost $51 billion agri-food sector,” said Rob Flack, Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness, in a media release.
“The IAW Wellness Program will help these important workers access the supports and services needed to improve their quality of life and better integrate into our dynamic agri-food workforce of over 871,000 men and women.”
The program will launch in early 2025 and be delivered over two years, with resources available in Spanish, French and English in year one, expanding to include Tagalog in year two. The program will focus on the Windsor-Essex region first and then expand to Brant-Haldimand-Norfolk in year two. Both regions have high populations of IAWs. In the second year, the program will also offer support to farm operators with workshops on how to create safer workplaces.
This investment recognizes the critical contribution IAWs make in Ontario’s agricultural economy. It builds on the success of the IAW Welcome Centre and the IAW Welcoming Communities Initiative.
This program is funded through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP), a five-year (2023-2028), $3.5-billion investment by federal, provincial and territorial governments to strengthen competitiveness, innovation, and resiliency of Canada’s agriculture, agri‐food and agri‐based products sector.
This includes $1 billion in federal programs and activities and a $2.5 billion commitment that is cost-shared 60 per cent federally and 40 per cent provincially/territorially for programs designed and delivered by the provinces and territories.
