WORKING IN THE OKANAGAN
it’s a long way from home!
Currently, more than 3,000 people come to BC to work.
By Maureen McEwan W
hen a chartered Aeroméxico flight landed in Kelowna on
July 12 from Mexico City, the 155 passengers hadn’t arrived for a weekend of sightseeing. Instead, the Mexican residents were here to work, helping with the cherry harvest at Coral Beach Farms in Lake Country.
These workers are part of the Seasonal Agriculture Workers Program (SAWP), an initiative that was first formed between Canada and Mexico in 1974. It wasn’t until 2004 that the program was implemented in BC, but since then has been declared an overwhelming success – and a saviour for farmers who need help during harvest.
Currently, more than 3,000 people come to BC to work, 45 percent of those to the Okanagan. That number is a significant increase from the 40 workers that first took part in the program back in 2004.
“Canada is the only country in the world with this kind of program,”
12 | YLW CONNECTION
says Estelle Garcia-León, Vice Consul of the Mexican Consulate General in Vancouver. “We’re very proud of our arrangement with Canada.”
Garcia-León says that nearly 87 percent of the workers have returned to work more than one year. In fact, some workers have returned to the same farms every year since 2004. “For many it’s a very happy environment and there’s a strong bond between them,” says Garcia-León. She points out Coral Beach Farms as a good example. “At Coral Beach Farms, they do everything possible to make sure everyone is well treated, that their needs are met and that they’re on the right track.”
SAWP is a win-win program for everyone involved. The biggest issue with the program, explains Garcia-León, is the logistics. “It’s a very long process before the workers can arrive here.”
The seasonal workers must apply to the Mexican Ministry of Labour, and satisfy all the immigrant laws of both Mexico and Canada before being considered for the program. This includes having
an appropriate agricultural background, no criminal record, a valid visa and passport, a reason for wanting to participate and the willingness to travel and be away for as long as eight months.
It also takes coordination on the Canadian side, particularly when it comes time for the workers to legally cross the border. With the charter flight that arrived in July, Canada Border Services Agency was well prepared.
Having received advanced notification of the flight, the border services officers were able to perform appropriate database checks and print the required authorization before the workers’ actual arrival. Superintendent Doug Clower says as a result, all 155 workers had their paperwork processed and had cleared customs in less than ninety minutes.
“To the best of my knowledge, this is the first time a chartered flight [with workers] has arrived in BC,” says Clower. He credits the cooperation of his agency, the Canadian and Mexican Consulates and Kelowna Airport
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