Hi Everyone,
Please see the announcement from CNLA.   The Government will help you improve living conditions for domestic and temporary foreign workers to mitigate COVID-19 outbreaks on farms.   

CNLA COVID-19 Updates for January 13, 2021
Please note that this information is changing often.  Please check the provided links for the most up to date information

Today’s Breaking News
 Emergency On-Farm Support Fund:– Deadline to submit application is Jan 29, 2021
The Emergency On-Farm Support Fund (EOFSF) provides $35 million to boost protections for domestic and temporary foreign workers and address COVID-19 outbreaks on farms.
The program will assist agricultural producers with some of the incremental costs for activities that improve the health and safety of all farm workers, domestic and temporary foreign workers (TFWs) by limiting the spread of COVID-19 in agricultural operations.
The program will provide up to $100,000 per recipient in non-repayable funding for emergency COVID-19 response activities.
Eligible activities can be retroactive to March 15, 2020 and must be completed by February 26, 2021. 

Eligible safety measures

Eligible activities can be retroactive to March 15, 2020 and must be completed by February 26, 2021.
Eligible activities include:

  • On-farm retrofit or adjustments to existing agricultural operations to cover extraordinary costs associated with COVID-19 to ensure worker safety, such as:
  • Workspace adjustments to allow for proper safety measures and physical distancing
  • Enhancements to required employer-provided housing for workers as a result of COVID-19 to ensure worker safety
  • Support for temporary housing arrangements for workers in cases where existing facilities cannot adequately allow or be modified to allow for physical distancing (off-farm housing options are eligible where required for prevention of the spread of COVID-19 or control where an outbreak of COVID-19 is confirmed)
  • Additional transportation to and from employer provided housing and job-sites to allow physical distancing as a result of COVID-19
  • Disposable and non-disposable personal protective equipment (PPE) that are incremental to normal operations due to COVID-19, such as:
    • disposable PPE such as masks, sanitizer, etc.
    • non-disposable PPE such as body temperature screening, face shields, etc.
  • Other associated costs related to worker training and safety COVID-19 protocols, such as:
    • costs associated with worker implementation of enhanced protocols such as interpretation services or training on COVID-19 protocols

Information and how to apply is available on the government of Canada website https://www.agr.gc.ca/eng/agricultural-programs-and-services/emergency-on-farm-support-fund/?id=1600991301312
 
 
Mandatory Isolation Support of Temporary Foreign Workers Program
***Important Notice
Applications for the 2021 program year will be accepted until 6:00 p.m. EST March 31, 2021 or until funding has been fully committed or until otherwise announced by the program. The 2021 program year begins on January 1, 2021 and will provide funding for workers who arrive in Canada on or after January 1, 2021 and up to March 31, 2021, or the expiry or repeal of the Order under Quarantine Act (currently set to expire January 21, 2021), whichever comes first.
 
The Mandatory Isolation Support for Temporary Foreign Workers Program (MISTFWP) is a one-time $84.4-million program to help with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on food supply in Canada by assisting the farming, fish harvesting, and food production and processing sectors. The program will assist Canadian employers with some of the incremental costs associated with the mandatory 14-day isolation period imposed under the Quarantine Act on temporary foreign workers upon entering Canada.
The MISTFWP will provide a maximum non-repayable contribution amount of $1,500 for each temporary foreign worker. Should an applicant receive assistance from a provincial or territorial government to help cover these costs, or the $1,500 exceeds their incremental costs per employee, the total contribution may be reduced.
The federal investment of up to $50-million will be available until fully depleted and, as long as the order under the Quarantine Act is in force and the isolation protocol has to be followed.
More information and the application process is available at https://www.agr.gc.ca/eng/agricultural-programs-and-services/mandatory-isolation-support-for-temporary-foreign-workers-program/?id=1588186409721

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