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Canada lifts restrictions on foreign workers, including migrant farm labourers – CBC.ca

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The Canadian government has lifted travel restrictions on temporary foreign workers who many farmers say are the backbone of the country’s agricultural industry. 

On Saturday, the Ministry of Agriculture and Agri-Food said the horticultural industry, lead by Foreign Agricultural Resource Management Services (FARMS), will charter and pay for planes to bring workers into the country. 

Farmers will have to adhere to strict two-week isolation rules or risk forfeiting their right to bring in foreign workers in the future, the ministry said. 

Canadian farmers from coast to coast rely on the workers for everything from planting to harvesting, and are worried that bans put in place as part of the federal government’s attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19 could lead to a crisis for the industry. 

Although details are still being worked out, the federal government on Friday announced that exemptions will be made for seasonal agricultural workers, fish and seafood workers, caregivers, and all other temporary foreign workers. 

“Farmers are pleased to see the government respond so promptly to the looming shortage of agri-food workers and we are committed to working with all the appropriate agencies and departments to ensure their entry maintains strict public health protocols to prevent further spread of COVID-19,” Mary Robinson, president of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, said in a statement. 

Under the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SWAP),  labourers come to Canada from Mexico and Caribbean countries through an agreement between the Canadian government and the countries that supply workers.

Ontario employs up to 20,000 migrant workers a year to perform farm work throughout the growing season. The number nationwide is close to 60,000. 

Asparagus farmers are particularly under the gun, because that vegetable is typically harvested in May and growers say they need workers on site by early April for prep work and training. 

“This is a huge first step,” said Keith Currie, president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture. “By nature, farms are isolated, so that is a plus for us.” 

The Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association said it was “extremely relieved” by the lifting of the travel restrictions.

Safety precautions in place

Last week the federal government announced the Canada-U.S. border would be shut to non-essential travel, and exemptions were granted to workers who enter through the United States. The bulk of temporary foreign workers come from other countries. 

Farmworkers pick strawberries at a farm in British Columbia. (Maggie MacPherson/CBC)

Although those exemptions have now been further expanded, Ottawa is urging workers not to travel to Canada immediately. Details will emerge early next week, officials said, and all those coming in will be required to self-isolate for two weeks upon their arrival in Canada. 

The travel exemptions also include international students who held a valid study permit or had been approved for a study permit when the travel restrictions took effect on March 18, and permanent resident applicants who had been approved before the travel restrictions were announced on March 16 but who had not yet travelled to Canada.

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Sixth-ranked Canadian women to face World Cup champion Spain in October friendly

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The sixth-ranked Canadian women will face World Cup champion Spain in an international friendly next month.

Third-ranked Spain will host Canada on Oct. 25 at Estadio Francisco de la Hera in Almendralejo.

The game will be the first for the Canadian women since the Paris Olympics, where they lost to Germany in a quarterfinal penalty shootout after coach Bev Priestman was sent home and later suspended for a year by FIFA over her part in Canada’s drone-spying scandal.

In announcing the Spain friendly, Canada Soccer said more information on the interim women’s coaching staff for the October window will come later. Assistant coach Andy Spence took charge of the team in Priestman’s absence at the Olympics.

Spain finished fourth in Paris, beaten 1-0 by Germany in the bronze-medal match.

Canada is winless in three previous meetings (0-2-1) with Spain, most recently losing 1-0 at the Arnold Clark Cup in England in February 2022.

The teams played to a scoreless draw in May 2019 in Logroñés, Spain in a warm-up for the 2019 World Cup. Spain won 1-0 in March 2019 at the Algarve Cup in São João da Venda, Portugal.

Spain is a powerhouse in the women’s game these days.

It won the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2022 and was runner-up in 2018. And it ousted Canada 2-1 in the round of 16 of the current U-20 tournament earlier this month in Colombia before falling 1-0 to Japan after extra time in the quarterfinal.

Spain won the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2018 and 2022 and has finished on the podium on three other occasions.

FC Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati (2023) and Alexia Putellas (2021 and ’22) have combined to win the last three Women’s Ballon d’Or awards.

And Barcelona has won three of the last four UEFA Women’s Champions League titles.

“We continue to strive to diversify our opponent pool while maintaining a high level of competition.” Daniel Michelucci, Canada Soccer’s director of national team operations, said in a statement. “We anticipate a thrilling encounter, showcasing two of the world’s top-ranked teams.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.



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Former Oilers assistant GM Brad Holland follows his father out the door in Edmonton

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EDMONTON – The NHL’s Edmonton Oilers announced Tuesday that assistant general manager Brad Holland is leaving the club.

The move comes almost three months after the departure of former Oilers general manager Ken Holland, Brad’s father.

Oilers chief executive officer and president of hockey operations Jeff Jackson said in a statement that Brad Holland and the team parted ways so Holland could “explore other opportunities.”

Holland, 43, joined the Oilers as a scout in 2019. He was promoted to assistant GM in July 2022.

He had a hand in building the team that advanced to Game 7 of the 2023-24 Stanley Cup final before losing to the Florida Panthers.

The Oilers hired former Chicago Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman to replace Ken Holland on July 1.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.



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Dolphins place Tua Tagovailoa on injured reserve after latest concussion, AP source says

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MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — The Miami Dolphins are placing Tua Tagovailoa on injured reserve after the quarterback was diagnosed with his third concussion in two years, a person familiar with the move told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team had not yet announced the move. Tagovailoa will be sidelined for at least four games with the designation.

He was hurt in the third quarter of a Thursday night game against the Buffalo Bills on a play where he collided with Bills defensive back Damar Hamlin. He ran for a first down and then initiated the contact by lowering his shoulder into Hamlin instead of sliding.

Players from both teams immediately motioned that Tagovailoa was hurt, and as he lay on the turf the quarterback exhibited some signs typically associated with a traumatic brain injury. He remained down on the field for a couple of minutes, got to his feet and walked to the sideline.

Tagovailoa this week began the process of consulting neurologists about his health. He was diagnosed with two concussions in 2022 and one while in college at Alabama.

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