Bibeau Provides Update On Temporary Foreign Worker Program

Mar 23, 2020

As a matter of food security, the federal government has confirmed that Temporary Foreign Workers will be permitted to enter Canada despite travel restrictions surrounding COVID-19.

On Saturday, Agriculture & Agri-Food Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said the next step will be to work with countries where the workers are coming from.

She notes planes will be chartered by industry and paid by employers who will get them.

"Every employer will have the responsibility to put in place a strict isolation protocol of 14 days and if they don't, they would forfeit the the right to hire foreign workers for the coming years."

Bibeau ensured Canadians that the government is committed to taking measures to protect health, and provide access to fresh fruits and vegetables and high quality food products.

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Video: Finding a Balance of Innovation and Regulation - Dr. Peter Facchini

Regulations help markets and industry exist on level playing fields, keeping consumers safe and innovation from going too far. However, incredibly strict regulations can stunt innovation and cause entire industries to wither away. Dr. Peter James Facchini brings his perspective on how existing regulations have slowed the advancement of medical developments within Canada. Given the international concern of opium poppy’s illicit potential, Health Canada must abide by this global policy. But with modern technology pushing the development of many pharmaceuticals to being grown via fermentation, is it time to reconsider the rules?

Dr. Peter James Facchini leads research into the metabolic biochemistry in opium poppy at the University of Calgary. For more than 30 years, his work has contributed to the increased availability of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthetic genes to assist in the creation of morphine for pharmaceutical use. Dr. Facchini completed his B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at the University of Toronto before completing Postdoctoral Fellowships in Biochemistry at the University of Kentucky in 1992 & Université de Montréal in 1995.