Ontario's labour minister says the province is ramping up COVID-19 safety inspections on farms ahead of the new growing season.
Monte McNaughton says hundreds of inspectors will visit farms, including greenhouse operations, to ensure COVID-19 safety measures are being followed to protect temporary foreign workers arriving in the coming weeks.
The province says there were approximately 20,500 temporary foreign workers in Ontario last year and most resided in communal living quarters on farms.
McNaughton says inspections of these living quarters is the duty of the federal government.
The province says that more than 1,780 temporary foreign workers in Ontario tested positive for COVID-19 in 2020 - and three died of the virus.
McNaughton told AM800's The Afternoon News that the province has inspected 1,000 farms since March and they've looked at what happened when the pandemic first hit.
"The living quarters are certainly an issue and I'm in regular contact with the federal government on that and they've assured us there are more inspections being done there," he says. "And I know local public health in Windsor-Essex is doing a really great job there, but it also is spread in the workplace."
McNaughton could not say if Ontario will provide the COVID-19 vaccine to temporary foreign workers.
Inspectors will check on engineering controls, movement of workers, whether a workplace safety plan exists and whether occupational illnesses are being reported. Inspectors could take enforcement action from the issuing of orders to the laying of charges.
The maximum penalty upon conviction under the Occupational Health and Safety Act is $1.5 million for a corporation and $100,000 for an individual. Individuals may also be imprisoned for up to 12 months on conviction.
With files from the Canadian Press