National

Invest in Caribbean, leaders urge, as Trudeau promises new temporary worker program

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 19 Oct, 2023 10:21 AM

Caribbean leaders gathered in Ottawa for a two-day summit this week are urging the Canadian private sector to invest more in the region.

Their pleas came as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Thursday that Canada is creating a new temporary worker program for the fisheries industry.

The Canada-CARICOM Summit is wrapping up – and I’m speaking with reporters about the progress we’ve made and our commitment to making even more progress together. Tune in here for the update: https://t.co/lbGeFc6iVQ
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) October 19, 2023

"We want the Canadian private sector to come and be part of the opportunity, outside of the traditional areas of investment," Guyanese President Irfaan Ali said Thursday, on the sidelines of an Ottawa summit of the Caribbean Community.

"Why this meeting is so critical is to send a signal to the Canadian private sector that they have to be more aggressive."

Trudeau invited the group, known as CARICOM, to Ottawa to touch base on Canadian co-operation with the region. Canada has traditionally helped relay the region's concerns at other international forums.

Last year, Canada’s two-way merchandise trade with CARICOM countries reached $1.8 billion – and with that comes jobs for workers and opportunities for businesses. Today, I sat down with leaders and investors to discuss how we can keep growing this important economic partnership. pic.twitter.com/tOG9YWZA80
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) October 19, 2023

In Wednesday's meetings, leaders from across the Caribbean spoke about how Canada can help create a safer, greener world, with a focus on climate change, reforming financial institutions and securing Haiti from a gang crisis.

Thursday's meetings are focused on opportunities for Canadian investments in Caribbean countries, as well as boosting trade. Trudeau said Canadian industries can partner with countries in the region for green infrastructure, "smart agriculture" and renewable energy.

"Now it's time to really dig in, on further concretizing and expanding on more ambition," Trudeau said.

He added that Ottawa will be seeking more labour from regions like the Caribbean to work in fisheries.

"Canada is committed to implementing a new foreign labour program for aquaculture and fish processing under our temporary foreign worker program," Trudeau said.

Trudeau is scheduled to take questions from reporters on Thursday afternoon, as the summit wraps up.

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Avalanche kills two in B.C.'s backcountry

Search and rescue crews were notified when the victims were reported overdue and their bodies were later recovered from the scene of the avalanche. Avalanche Canada says the area of the slide was highly wind-affected, leaving some parts of the slope thin and rocky, while other sections had up to 130 centimetres of snow.

Avalanche kills two in B.C.'s backcountry

Pandemic support lowered B.C.'s child poverty rate

It's the largest one-year drop in the rate since 2000, but one in eight children were still living in poverty, and the report says rates were "dramatically higher" among children living on First Nation reserves and those who recently immigrated.

Pandemic support lowered B.C.'s child poverty rate

MPs want more earthquake donations matched

The federal government has offered to match up to $10 million in donations to the Canadian Red Cross for their partners on the ground to help people who are suddenly homeless. Conservative, Bloc Québécois and New Democrat MPs want to see that expanded to include other groups, an idea that is supported by at least one Liberal MP, Sameer Zuberi.

MPs want more earthquake donations matched

Canadian's body found in Turkey earthquake rubble

Saad Zora says his twin sister Samar was found earlier today by searchers as an excavator dug through pieces of a five-storey building in the city of Antakya. He said, "Samar was found," and added, "she didn't make it."

Canadian's body found in Turkey earthquake rubble

Across the continent, eyes on the sky — and Norad

Three separate objects were blown out of the sky in as many days over the weekend, a flurry of close encounters that followed what U.S. officials say was a Chinese surveillance balloon that floated across the continent two weeks ago.

Across the continent, eyes on the sky — and Norad

Big grocery store CEOs called to testify in Ottawa

The proposal to hear from the grocery leaders came from NDP MP Alistair MacGregor, and it received unanimous support from Liberal, Conservative and Bloc Québécois MPs. Executives from all three companies, as well as Save-On-Foods, have testified at past committee meetings focused on the rising cost of food — but not their CEOs.