If you had any doubt that temporary foreign workers (TFWs) are important to P.E.I.’s agriculture industry, consider this: In March 2024 the Canadian government announced it is taking steps to limit the number of TFWs in the country. A month later, in April 2024, the P.E.I. provincial government introduced a $15,000 grant for farmers to improve living conditions for TFWs in agriculture.

Ryan MacRea is a program coordinator for the Cooper Institute, a charity that offers advocacy, education and workshops to support migrant workers on P.E.I. His organization’s goal is to shape government policy to improve living conditions for foreign workers.

MacRea said the provincial grant is an admission that living conditions are substandard for TFWs on P.E.I. He said most of the workers his organization has spoken to would prefer more frequent and proactive inspections of their living quarters. MacRea said he has heard reports of overcrowding, limited privacy and sometimes as many as 10 people sharing a single stove or bathroom.

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