People of a vineyards in the Okanagan Valley, who have been forever barred from hiring temporary foreign workers and fined$ 118, 000 for breaking system rules, have constantly contacted a British Columbia firm that assists immigrant workers. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada said in a Dec. 16 ruling that Toor Vineyards was banned for not putting in enough effort to protect workers from physical, sexual, psychological or financial abuse, or from reprisal. 4: 36
Wine growers on B. C. Alberta wine agreementIt also said Toor Vineyards failed to provide requested documents, and that pay and working conditions didn’t live up to what was promised to the foreign workers. Raul Gatica, the founder of Dignidad Migrante Society, said a “minimum of five, six” workers at the winery had reached out to his organization for help in recent years. According to Gatica, one of the workers sought counseling after experiencing sexual abuse. ” We say,’ you know that is a crime thing, so you have to go to the police,'” said Gatica, who added that police were told of the allegations. RCMP declined to comment on the allegation. Toor Vineyards is one of only two employers in the country to be subject to a permanent hiring ban, out of hundreds of other ones listed in a government department database. 1: 54
Cowichan Valley winery forced to close after 20 yearsToor Vineyards shares the same address as the award-winning Desert Hills Estate Winery, whose president Randhir Toor stepped down about a year ago. In violation of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, Toor Vineyards was found guilty of seven counts of counseling or trying to counsel misrepresentation in 2022, while Desert Hills was fined$ 16, 000 for breaking the law. The department’s database lists that fine as unpaid. Gatica expressed his satisfaction with the most recent fine and ban and that “finally the federal government was doing something,” but he had no idea whether the new penalty would be paid. Trending Now
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Toor Vineyards ‘ contact information was not immediately available, and Desert Hills Estate Winery’s did not immediately respond to an email request for comment. Gatica said migrant farm workers, often poorly paid and living in cramped on-site housing, were vulnerable to abuse. 2: 35
B. C. wineries reeling from effects of climate changeHe said that after coming to Canada from Mexico as a refugee in 2005, he worked on a farm in the Okanagan where he witnessed “horrible conditions” .He said some migrant farm labourers worked up to 16 hours a day, with up to 20 people sharing living quarters. Gatica claimed that his experiences inspired him to form Dignidad Migrante Society to support other migrant workers who feared challenging abusive employers. According to Syed Hussan, executive director of the Migrant Workers Alliance, migrant workers are tied to employers who gave them their work permits. ” If your boss controls your housing, controls your ability to work, live in the country on a long-term basis … you don’t have the power to make complaints”, said Hussan. When qualified Canadians are unavailable, they can still use the temporary foreign worker program to fill temporary positions. However, it was subject to intense scrutiny last year, and in September, the government reinstated pre-pandemic regulations that made it more difficult for businesses to employ low-wage workers from other countries. &, copy 2025 The Canadian Press
