Survey Results from Agricultural Labour Survey

Dear Mission – Matsqui – Abbotsford,

This is just a short email to summarize the great responses I received from my last email blast.  

This was one of our most highly engaged surveys to date and I’m incredibly grateful for your thoughtful and honest responses. It’s clear that you care deeply about the future of our workforce and the challenges facing both young people and employers today.

Also, thank you to those who pointed out the error on Question 4 of the survey. You were right—it should have said “increase or decrease” instead of “yes or no.” This was corrected shortly after the survey launched, but I appreciate your attention to detail and your commitment to ensuring the results are reported accurately.

As we head into the dog days of summer, I wish everyone an awesome August long-weekend. If you’re in town, don’t forget to check the new line-up at this year’s Abbotsford AgriFair. Whether it’s the wrestling, music, or pig races – it’s always a good time for family and friends!

Rock the free world,

Brad Vis, MP 

See Results Below:

Q6: Summary

Do young Canadians have a point when they say baby boomers don’t understand the modern labour market — or are they just entitled and unwilling to work hard?

Responses to this question were wide-ranging and deeply divided.

🔹 Some agreed with young Canadians, pointing out the dramatic rise in housing costs, inflation, and the lack of stable, good-paying jobs. Many said that baby boomers came of age in a very different economy — one that no longer exists — and today’s youth face real, systemic barriers to success.

🔸 Others strongly disagreed, arguing that many young people today lack a strong work ethic, avoid manual labour, and expect too much too soon. Some said entry-level jobs are readily available but often go unfilled due to unrealistic expectations.

⚖️ Many respondents fell somewhere in the middle, acknowledging that both generations have valid points. While boomers may not fully grasp today’s economic pressures, younger Canadians, they said, could benefit from greater resilience, humility, and hands-on work experience.

Overall, this question struck a nerve — and made one thing very clear: the generational divide around work, values, and opportunity is real, and it’s worth talking about.

 

Q9 Additional Comments Summary

🔹 Temporary Foreign Workers (TFWs)

  • Strong divide: some see TFWs as essential to agriculture; others believe they displace Canadian workers.
  • Concerns over exploitation, poor housing, and lack of pathways to citizenship.
  • Several want tighter limits on foreign workers, especially in non-agricultural sectors like fast food.
  • Others support increasing foreign workers—but only where Canadians aren’t applying.

🔹 Employment & EI/Welfare

  • Many called for reforms to EI and welfare to encourage or require recipients to take available jobs.
  • Some suggested clawbacks or graduated incentives to prevent disincentivizing work.
  • Support for requiring unemployed Canadians to work in agriculture if capable.

🔹 Wages & Labour Market Conditions

  • Multiple calls to eliminate or raise the minimum wage.
  • Complaints that agricultural work is too physically demanding for the wages offered.
  • Calls to make farm work more “honourable” or incentivize youth through education and hands-on experience.

🔹 Immigration

  • Immigration sparked strong and polarized opinions.
  • Some want immigration reduced or paused entirely, citing housing, infrastructure, and cultural assimilation concerns.
  • Others emphasize the need for skilled immigrants and better vetting.
  • A few noted positive experiences with long-term foreign workers and support their path to residency.

🔹 Discrimination & Employment Practices

  • Multiple complaints about employers hiring only within their ethnic groups.
  • Concerns about lack of English language use in some businesses.

🔹 Government & Policy Criticism

  • Frequent frustration with federal and provincial governments—Liberal, NDP, and sometimes Conservative.
  • Anger over perceived lack of support for agriculture, small business, and youth employment.
  • Critiques of DEI policies, mass immigration, and bureaucratic inefficiencies.

🔹 Suggestions

  • Include more “real-world” learning for students (e.g., farm visits, trade training).
  • Establish immigration policy based on economic needs, not political agendas.

 

Thank you again for taking the time fill out this survey. I look forward to using this format more in the upcoming parliamentary session!

Sincerely,

 

 

Brad Vis, MP

Mission – Matsqui – Abbotsford