‘A win-win’: Jamaican workers program a success in The Blue Mountains

70 Jamaican workers are working at Ardiel Acres in The Town of Blue Mountains for the Seasonal Agricultural Work Program this summer.

Forty-five-year-old Paul Sharrier of Jamaica has been working at a Town of Blue Mountains apple farm for the past decade.

He’s here as part of the “Seasonal Agricultural Work Program.” Workers spend up to seven months a year working in Canada.

Sharrier says it works out well for him.

“It helps us out a lot financially,” says Sharrier. “Helps us to be more stable, financially stable so you take care of things like school, your kids.”

The seasonal agricultural work program has been around for 60 years. Sharrier is one of about 70 Jamaican workers at Ardiel Acres this summer.

“This program has worked very well for us,” says John Ardiel, owner of Ardiel Acres.

The apple orchard has been involved in the program since 1979. It started using it after having issues with staff retention, even people showing up for work on a regular basis.

“It’s hard to find people who want to work a seasonal job for six or seven weeks a year,” says Ardiel. “It works for the men because they are able to count on having a job, they earn their own money. It’s pretty much a win-win,” says Ardiel.

Daine Pinder found out about the program through his mother 26 years ago. Since then, he’s become like family to everyone at the apple farm.

“There’s no problem with my boss. He’s like a brother to us. So we have a better life going here,” Daine Pinder, a Jamaican Worker.

“Canada and Jamaica have strong ties,” says Patty Hadju, the federal minister responsible for the economic development agency for northern Ontario. “The Canada-Jamaican bilateral relationship also encompasses trade and investment, security and defence, and development cooperation.”

There are about 22,000 people taking part in the seasonal agricultural worker program this year in Canada - most of them in Ontario. A celebration marking the 60^th anniversary of the program is set for July 24.