National & Provincial Summit on Migrant Workers

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Vision

To build a unified, equitable, and sustainable approach to migrant worker support across Canada — one that ensures every worker, regardless of geography or industry, has access to rights-based services, community connection, and dignified support.

PURPOSE

The National and Provincial Summit on Migrant Workers will bring together service providers, policymakers, employers, researchers, consular officials, frontline workers, volunteers, faith-based and grassroots organizations, migrant voices, and officials from all levels of government involved in migrant worker programs and supports from across Canada to reflect, share, and reimagine how we support temporary foreign workers in this country.

This important gathering is led by TNO – The Neighbourhood Organization, the lead agency for a Stream 2 service provider with over 4 years of experience operating Ontario’s Worker Support Services (WSS) Program and a long-standing leader in the sector. As an organization, TNO has been serving migrant workers for over twenty years through consistent and responsive service delivery.

The summit is being organized in collaboration with dedicated sub-agreement holders and frontline partners, including FCJ Refugee Centre, Huron Farm Worker Ministry, Bridges Niagara, Newcomer Legal Clinic Thunder Bay, Migrants Matter Flamborough, Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers, the Migrant Farm Workers Project of the Anglican Diocese of Niagara, and the Sudbury Workers Centre. We are also working alongside national partners such as BC Migrant Worker Support Program and the Mexican Embassy.

Together, we aim to create a shared space for collaboration, knowledge exchange, and the development of practical solutions to strengthen services for migrant workers and the sector that supports them.

The summit will bring together a broad range of participants, including service providers, employers, outreach teams, interpreters, health practitioners, academic partners, volunteers, community leaders, city officials, provincial and national leaders, sector associations, and consular representatives. It will also highlight vital partnerships with sending countries such as Mexico, Guatemala, Barbados, and the Eastern Caribbean, whose consulates and local networks play an essential role in supporting temporary foreign workers and contributing to the effectiveness of the sector.

SUMMIT GOALS

This two-day summit will:

  • Showcase innovative and regionally responsive service models and frontline practices
  • Facilitate national knowledge exchange across sectors and provinces
  • Identify service gaps and challenges faced by migrant workers and the organizations that support them
  • Explore sustainable funding opportunities through public, private, and community partnerships
  • Promote interprovincial alignment to ensure consistent and equitable service delivery
  • Share temporary foreign migrant worker experiences through storytelling, lived experiences, and direct participation.
  • Strengthen a national network of service providers, grassroots organizations, and sector allies.
  • Ensure that outcomes lead to improved access to services and better overall well-being.

EXPECTED OUTCOME

  • A conference report capturing key discussions, worker insights, and recommendations to strengthen service delivery and improve access to services.
  • A national compendium of promising and adaptable practices that can be replicated or scaled in other regions
  • Cross-provincial alignment on core service standards and shared principles to support consistent and effective service delivery.
  • Insights and recommendations based on workers’ lived experiences and frontline perspectives to help strengthen programs and services across jurisdictions.
  • A collaboratively developed roadmap for sustainable funding, outlining priority areas for support and capacity building.
  • Stronger cross-sector connections among grassroots and faith-based organizations, sector partners, and consular representatives to enhance coordination and improve access to services.
  • A national resource map to help migrant workers and service providers identify available supports, improve navigation, and increase equitable access across regions.
  • Tangible commitments toward continued collaboration, including the potential establishment of a national advisory body or working group to advance summit outcomes

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Email: nationalsummittfwp@tno-toronto.org

Phone number:647-391-1096