Restaurants Canada statement on Premier Eby’s call to eliminate Temporary Foreign Worker Program
Toronto, Sept. 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Premier David Eby’s comments on the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) program are missing the reality of the foodservice industry in British Columbia. BC’s foodservice industry generates more than $20 billion in economic activity, representing nearly 5% of the province's GDP. It employs nearly 183,000 British Columbians, including 68,000 youth, representing one in five youth jobs.
However, there are geographic areas and skill gaps that make it necessary for some foodservice businesses to recruit temporary foreign workers. Chefs and cooks make up the majority of TFWs in foodservice. These are skilled workers that require specific training and we don’t have the domestic labour supply to meet demand. Tourism-heavy areas with aging populations often don’t have the youth necessary to meet the sharp rise in demand during specific periods of the year. Additionally, 24-hour businesses, like highway comfort stations, have a hard time staffing overnight shifts and may resort to the program.
TFWs represent just 3% of the total foodservice workforce in Canada, but without those critical workers, many foodservice businesses would not be able to operate. They may have to shorten their hours, reduce their Canadian staff or simply close their doors.
TFWs are always a last resort as it’s much easier and less costly to hire local talent. Businesses have to prove they have made a significant effort to recruit locally by posting the position on job boards, at the prevailing market wage before they can apply for a Labour Market Impact Assessment. It can then take over a year and cost nearly $9,000 to recruit a single TFW.
Restaurants Canada agrees that there are changes to be made to the TFW program in order to ensure it supports Canadian and foreign workers and aligns with our economic needs. But those changes should not be made without consulting the businesses they will impact and taking into account the real gaps that exist in Canada’s labour market.
- Kelly Higginson, President and CEO, Restaurants Canada
About Restaurants Canada
Restaurants Canada is a national, not-for-profit association advancing Canada’s diverse and dynamic foodservice industry. Restaurants are a $124 billion industry employing nearly 1.2 million Canadians and the number one source of first-time jobs in Canada. Visit restaurantscanada.org for more information.
Milena Stanoeva Restaurants Canada 6479211758 media@restaurantscanada.org
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