Thread by @joannachiu

NEW: Rural communities in British Columbia are racing to establish temporary camp sites with washrooms and enough space for physical distancing for domestic farm workers from elsewhere in Canada. thestar.com/news/canada/20… @TorontoStar #COVID19

The working conditions faced by migrant workers from other countries such as Mexico have been under the spotlight of late amid concerns over #COVID19 outbreaks and several deaths in Ontario farms due to the virus. thestar.com/news/canada/20… @TorontoStar

What the public may not know is that for thousands of Canadian youth, picking fruit while camping in orchards is a long-standing way to save money.

But in the time of #COVID19, some farm camp sites don’t meet health and safety standards. thestar.com/news/canada/20… @TorontoStar

Communities in B.C. are racing to establish camp sites that meet high levels of hygiene.

Most of the farm workers will come from Quebec, whic leads Canada in #COVID19 cases, and they won’t be required to self-isolate on arrival. thestar.com/news/canada/20… @TorontoStar

I spoke with locals in Summerland B.C. who are anxious that officials haven’t finalized plans to house seasonal farm workers yet.

“It’s super scary because domestic farm workers don’t have to self-isolate like migrant workers.”
thestar.com/news/canada/20… #COVID19 @TorontoStar

Why can’t all farmers just upgrade their camp sites?

“The problem is that regulations for domestic worker campsites have been minimal in the past and some farmers don’t have the resources to make substantial upgrades.” thestar.com/news/canada/20… #farming #ag #cdnpoli #COVID19

This is tree nursery manager Jon and farm worker Carlos. The nursery supplies seedlings to replenish forests destroyed by wildfires. Jon has invested a lot to make sure worker accommodations are safe, but he wants more clarity on long-term protocols. thestar.com/news/canada/20…

The mayor of Summerland says #COVID19 has highlighted that living conditions of many farm workers require improvement, both those from overseas and other provinces.

“It’s something that should’ve been addressed years ago and now we have no choice.” thestar.com/news/canada/20…

With fewer domestic workers coming to B.C. as well as fewer foreign workers coming from other countries, growers say they will likely lose crops from the labour shortage, so some farmers are making extensive upgrades to ensure workers can keep coming. thestar.com/news/canada/20…