Farms in northern Ontario hiring Mexican migrant workers

Migrant workers coming to Canada are similar to Canadians finding work elsewhere

By Diego Flammini
Assistant Editor, North American Content
Farms.com

At least one farm in northern Ontario is relying on Mexican migrant workers to ensure the work is completed on time.

“Everything is done by hand, we plant by hand (and) harvest by hand,” Mitch Deschatelets, manager of Leisure Farms in Sturgeon Falls, told CBC. “It takes a lot of hands to be able to do all that.”

According to Employment and Social Development Canada, there were 24,223 workers in Ontario as part of the Season Agricultural Worker Program in 2015. Deschatelets told CBC he has about 13 migrant workers on his farm.

“Every year there’s less and less Canadians wanting to do these types of jobs,” he told CBC.

Mitch Deschatelets
Photo: Erik White/CBC

Migrant workers who come to Canada for work are similar to Canadians that travel for employment.

“Like diamond drillers, they’ll leave for months at a time, they’ll make big bucks, but they’re gone for that time. So it’s a balance,” he said.

Deschaelets said he’s developed a relationship with some of his workers that extends outside of the workplace.

“Yes, I’m their boss, but I consider them good friends.”