Ontario farmers support scholarships for children of Jamaican seasonal workers

Governments, farmers highlight ongoing improvements that strengthen protections, mobility, and support for international farm workers in Canada 

GUELPH, ON, Feb. 9, 2026 /CNW/ - A new program has been launched by the government of Jamaica to provide scholarships to the children of Jamaicans working on Ontario fruit and vegetable farms through the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP).

The scholarship program, supported by a $10,000 grant from the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (OFVGA) as part of efforts to help mark the 60^th anniversary of SAWP this year, will help 10 Jamaican students pay for costs associated with attending high school, from accommodation and transportation to books and uniforms.

From left: Dione Jennings (Permanent Secretary, Jamaica Ministry of Labour and Social Security); Pearnel Charles Jr. (Minister of Labour and Social Security); Benjamin Murray (Communications Advisor, Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association); Justine Bailey (Public Relations Manager); and Donovan Williams (Minister of State, Ministry of Labour and Social Security) at the scholarship announcement ceremony. (CNW Group/Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers' Association)

"Education is the one thing that can equalize and it levels the playing field to unlock potential. When you give a child that leg up, it helps not just that child but also their family and their community," said Jamaica's Minister of Labour and Social Security, Pearnel Charles Jr., during the launch in Kingston, Jamaica last week.

"The idea for this scholarship came during a conversation in Canada last year and today, we are moving from talking about helping to providing a program that will help – that's the best reflection of a legacy partnership," he added.

In 1966, Jamaica became the first country to provide seasonal workers to Canadian fruit and vegetable growers, when 264 Jamaicans arrived in Ontario to help with apple harvest. This launched a strong partnership between Jamaica and Canada, and laid the foundation for SAWP, one of Canada's longest-running and most respected labour programs.

Today, more than 30,000 workers from Mexico, Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados, and the Eastern Caribbean Islands come through SAWP to support Ontario's horticulture sector each year.

One of the strengths of the program is an annual review process that involves the governments of the workers' home countries, the Canadian government and Canadian farm employers; this has led to consistent and ongoing positive improvements to SAWP.

Shortly after Minister Charles assumed his current role, he came to Canada to visit farms and meet with Jamaican workers and farm employers.

"We came on an observation tour and we saw where there was need for improvement – and since then, we have seen significant improvements. We are always working together to create an optimal environment for workers," Charles added. "This milestone of celebrating 60 years of SAWP reminds us of the thousands of families who have been transformed through this program."

Over the last several years, federal and provincial governments, with the support of employers and workers' home country governments, have introduced a series of new measures to strengthen worker protections and support, including:

• Open work permits for vulnerable workers -- giving workers the ability to change employers if they experience unsafe or unfair treatment.
  
  
  
• Expanded mobility -- allowing workers to apply for new work permits while already in Canada and, for those in the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP), to transfer between approved employers through their home country liaison offices without a new work permit.
  
  
  
• Stronger protections from reprisals -- ensuring workers can raise concerns about working conditions without fear of retaliation.
  
  
  
• Dedicated supports and funding -- including a 24/7 federal multilingual support line, and nearly $50 million in federal funding for worker advocacy and support organizations to ensure workers are aware of their rights, and have the tools and resources to exercise them.
  
  
  
• Improved workplace injury coverage -- Ontario has updated how the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board compensates injured farm workers to better reflect the realities of seasonal farm work.
  
  
  
• Better housing -- employers are making ongoing investments to improve and expand housing for their seasonal workers.

"These positive changes are the result of years of collaboration between employers, governments, and worker support groups," says Bill George, Chair of the OFVGA Labour Committee. "We are proud to have committed partners like the government of Jamaica as we continue to work together to strengthen this long-running and well-respected program. The workers' contributions are critical to both the Jamaican economy and Canada's food supply."

Through its More than a Migrant Worker initiative, the OFVGA gives a voice to the thousands of seasonal and temporary workers who come to Ontario each year, empowering them to share their stories and highlighting what these jobs mean to them and the essential role they play in feeding Canadians.

The Ontario Fruit & Vegetable Growers' Association is the voice of Ontario's fruit and vegetable producers on issues affecting the horticulture sector.

For backgrounder: https://www.ofvga.org/news-releases/ontario-farmers-support-scholarships-for-children-of-jamaican-seasonal-workers

SOURCE Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers' Association

For more information: Ben Murray, Communications Advisor, 519-400-1765 or [email protected]; Bill George, Labour Committee Chair, 905-984-0994 or [email protected]