Mr. Chair, I think I can answer that.
Evidence of meeting #28 for Health in the 43rd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was cfia.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Evidence of meeting #28 for Health in the 43rd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was cfia.
A recording is available from Parliament.
5:30 p.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Market and Industry Services Branch, Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Mr. Chair, I think I can answer that.
5:30 p.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Market and Industry Services Branch, Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Thank you for your question, Mr. Desilets.
We have been working closely with farmers, especially vegetable growers, to monitor their seeding progress in recent weeks. What we've observed so far is that very specific areas of production in very specific regions haven't been able to seed as much as they would've liked. That is especially true for asparagus farmers in Quebec and Ontario. Not to mention, Ontario, mainly, has seen a significant decline in mushroom production.
Predicting where things will be in the fall is challenging. That's why we are keeping up our efforts to bring in as many foreign workers as possible, as Mr. Jurgutis mentioned. We are also maintaining hiring programs such as Canada summer jobs for young people, to make sure vegetable growers will have enough workers for the fall harvest.
Allow me to round out, if I may, what Mr. Jurgutis said regarding Mexico. It's important to keep in mind that, while the Mexican government does play a role in the application process, our embassy in Mexico City is still processing, as quickly as it can, the visa applications of temporary foreign workers looking to come to Canada.
5:30 p.m.
Bloc
5:30 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ron McKinnon
Thank you, Mr. Desilets.
We now move on to Mr. Davies.
Mr. Davies, you have six minutes.
June 17th, 2020 / 5:30 p.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
My first question is for Ms. Barnes.
Ms. Barnes, I don't know if you had the opportunity to listen to the testimony of Fabian Murphy, the national president of the Agriculture Union, who just testified at the committee. He represents all of the food inspectors and employees of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, and the picture he painted of the CFIA's response to protecting its workers was rather startling.
To summarize his evidence, he thought that the CFIA was late to protect its workers. In fact, there's personal protective equipment that just arrived in Alberta last week. He spoke of employees having to share face shields. There has been a shortage of latex gloves, N95 masks and shields. There is no consistent national approach across the country. There is the spectre of inspectors having to be assigned to multiple facilities, potentially being vectors of transmission of COVID-19, and in fact, being banned by the CFIA from using their own cloth masks, at least at the beginning. What's your response to that testimony?
5:30 p.m.
Vice-President, Operations, Canadian Food Inspection Agency
I'll start by saying that the health and safety of our staff is a top priority for us at the CFIA. All of the actions that we have taken to mitigate risks have been done in consultation with our occupational health and safety experts, our unions, local public health authorities, the Public Health Agency of Canada, Health Canada, etc.
We acted immediately to provide protective measures for our staff. As I mentioned in my earlier remarks, we began procuring masks and face shields for employees in establishments where physical distancing could not be respected as soon as the public health advice in this matter evolved. We were providing masks to our staff in late March, and we began procuring and distributing shields in mid-April.
5:35 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ron McKinnon
Just one moment, Mr. Davies.
I'm sorry, but the translation didn't happen. Is that an answer that you'd be able to give in French as well?
5:35 p.m.
Vice-President, Operations, Canadian Food Inspection Agency
The health and safety of staff is a priority for the CFIA.
Do you want me to continue, or should I turn it over...?
5:35 p.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Market and Industry Services Branch, Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Mr. Chair, this is Frédéric Seppey. I am pleased to translate what Theresa just said, if you'll allow me.
5:35 p.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Market and Industry Services Branch, Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food
All right.
As Ms. Iuliano said, the health and safety of CFIA employees is a priority. We took steps as soon as possible, in consultation with the occupational health and safety committee and union representatives.
We acted immediately in response to the advice of local public health authorities. For instance, we began providing staff with protective equipment, when there were separators, beginning in late March and, in other cases, in mid-April.
5:35 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ron McKinnon
Thank you.
I'll resume your time, Mr. Davies. You have two and a half minutes left.
5:35 p.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
Two and half minutes? Mr. Chair, that can't be the case. That's two-thirds of my time.
Mr. Chair, I directed my question to Ms. Barnes for a reason, and that's because I wanted to avoid the translation problems. Perhaps you could direct the witness that I'm asking to answer the question. It completely unsettles the line of questioning when I have to listen to the same answer repeated twice.
Ms. Barnes, how many food processing facilities across Canada have experienced outbreaks of COVID-19 to date?
5:35 p.m.
Vice-President, Policy and Programs, Canadian Food Inspection Agency
We'll have to get back to you with that specific number. I know, anecdotally, that there have been a few, but the exact number I don't know.
5:35 p.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
My next question is for the Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food.
I understand that the Government of Mexico has put a moratorium on all workers coming to Canada. Can you provide the committee with a clear explanation of why those two Mexican migrant workers died of COVID-19?
5:35 p.m.
Director General, Policy, Planning and Integration Directorate, Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Thank you for the question.
Unfortunately, I'm not in a position to be able to provide details as to those specific cases as they don't fall under the purview of our department.
5:35 p.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
Fair enough.
Do you know how many temporary foreign workers in Canada have contracted COVID-19 to date?
5:35 p.m.
Director General, Policy, Planning and Integration Directorate, Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food
I don't have those numbers either. We have been having conversations, particularly with the provinces, to try to gather that information, but even at the provincial level there has been some difficulty to pull the information together because it comes from the local health units as well, so it hasn't been as precise.
I do think that type of question would need to be directed more precisely to PHAC or Health Canada.
5:35 p.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
Could I ask you to undertake to provide the committee with those numbers?
5:35 p.m.
Director General, Policy, Planning and Integration Directorate, Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food
We could look to get that information to the committee. Again, I would just say with a caveat that it will depend on the kind of information that we can get from the municipal to the provincial level. We've started those conversations already to try to get a handle on those numbers, so we—
