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It’s been a bad summer for Billy Gordon.
The owner of Billy G Amusements has lost his fifth contract to provide midway services to fairs in the Ottawa Valley after what he says have been catastrophic changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker program.
The latest fairs in Arnprior and Lombardy, near Rideau Lakes, have both found replacement midway companies.
“This is just is literally killing me,” Gordon said Friday of his inability to hire foreign workers through the new program. He said he first applied in December and it’s been a back and forth with Service Canada ever since.
“I gave them my cheque. I did everything I was supposed to,” he said adding the application fee jumped from $275 to $1,000. The new program puts more pressure on the employer to prove they need to hire a foreigner over a Canadian.
“In the beginning, I thought because there was a fee attached service would be better. It truly didn’t, it got worse. I can’t believe I haven’t been acknowledged by Service Canada yet.”
The Ministry of Employment and Social Development said it contacted the company in July because the application was incomplete.
Gordon said that without the program he doesn’t have enough workers willing to travel to set up and take down the rides, something three fairs found out last minute. Last week, the company backed out of this weekend’s Chesterville Fair, July’s fair in Almonte and in Maxville’s in June.
After hearing the news, Lombardy and Arnprior organizers weren’t taking any chances. Lombardy cancelled its contract on Sunday and is going with Carter Shows for its Midway.
Arnprior gave Gordon an ultimatum to confirm workers by Wednesday. Gordon couldn’t do it.
But Arnprior Fair organizers don’t hold much ill will, especially after some quick work to secure a midway operations replacement for the Aug. 7-10 dates.
“I’m very understanding if somebody gives me a very good reason,” said Arnprior Fair president Jeff Desarmia of Gordon’s situation.
“He couldn’t find Ontario workers to do this transient lifestyle or a so-called midway or carnie worker to pay them at minimum wage to do this type of work,” said Desarmia.
Gordon has two other units that are still running out of southern and southwestern Ontario. He has about eight people, all Canadians, who work on jobs out of the Toronto area.
He said getting people to travel is tricky and that’s why he has used the Temporary Foreign Worker Program for years. Last year, he estimates, he had 14 foreign workers, and said he needs 20 to 30 people on staff for all the events he books.
“It’s a great program for our industry. It’s definitely difficult to get the youth today to come out and set up and tear down rides and travel. It’s not such a glamourous,” said Gordon, adding that Canadian students only want to operate the rides. The workers usually work on six-month contracts or shorter, and must go through an apprenticeship program.
Desarmia said did an economic impact study that found the midway at Arnprior brings the fair about $75,000.
“If I was in his place I’d be jumping up and down saying: ‘Look at all the money I lost’.”
Organizers at the Almonte Fair organizers, who scrambled one week before its event to find another ride provider, weren’t so kind.
The Gable Brothers operation “literally saved our hides,” said Almonte Fair vice-president Spencer Ross.
It has burned its bridges with Billy G.
“I think safe to say we won’t be doing business with Billy G in the future,” said Ross, adding the midway is a key attraction for fairgoers.
Gordon said he’s well aware of the criticism of how he handled the Ottawa-area fairs but says if the foreign worker program stays as it is, he’s not sure he’ll have a midway business much longer.
“It’s catastrophic for my business,” he said. “It’s definitely made me look at what I’m going to do in the future. My government is not supporting me and I have no idea why.”
查看原文...
The owner of Billy G Amusements has lost his fifth contract to provide midway services to fairs in the Ottawa Valley after what he says have been catastrophic changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker program.
The latest fairs in Arnprior and Lombardy, near Rideau Lakes, have both found replacement midway companies.
“This is just is literally killing me,” Gordon said Friday of his inability to hire foreign workers through the new program. He said he first applied in December and it’s been a back and forth with Service Canada ever since.
“I gave them my cheque. I did everything I was supposed to,” he said adding the application fee jumped from $275 to $1,000. The new program puts more pressure on the employer to prove they need to hire a foreigner over a Canadian.
“In the beginning, I thought because there was a fee attached service would be better. It truly didn’t, it got worse. I can’t believe I haven’t been acknowledged by Service Canada yet.”
The Ministry of Employment and Social Development said it contacted the company in July because the application was incomplete.
Gordon said that without the program he doesn’t have enough workers willing to travel to set up and take down the rides, something three fairs found out last minute. Last week, the company backed out of this weekend’s Chesterville Fair, July’s fair in Almonte and in Maxville’s in June.
After hearing the news, Lombardy and Arnprior organizers weren’t taking any chances. Lombardy cancelled its contract on Sunday and is going with Carter Shows for its Midway.
Arnprior gave Gordon an ultimatum to confirm workers by Wednesday. Gordon couldn’t do it.
But Arnprior Fair organizers don’t hold much ill will, especially after some quick work to secure a midway operations replacement for the Aug. 7-10 dates.
“I’m very understanding if somebody gives me a very good reason,” said Arnprior Fair president Jeff Desarmia of Gordon’s situation.
“He couldn’t find Ontario workers to do this transient lifestyle or a so-called midway or carnie worker to pay them at minimum wage to do this type of work,” said Desarmia.
Gordon has two other units that are still running out of southern and southwestern Ontario. He has about eight people, all Canadians, who work on jobs out of the Toronto area.
He said getting people to travel is tricky and that’s why he has used the Temporary Foreign Worker Program for years. Last year, he estimates, he had 14 foreign workers, and said he needs 20 to 30 people on staff for all the events he books.
“It’s a great program for our industry. It’s definitely difficult to get the youth today to come out and set up and tear down rides and travel. It’s not such a glamourous,” said Gordon, adding that Canadian students only want to operate the rides. The workers usually work on six-month contracts or shorter, and must go through an apprenticeship program.
Desarmia said did an economic impact study that found the midway at Arnprior brings the fair about $75,000.
“If I was in his place I’d be jumping up and down saying: ‘Look at all the money I lost’.”
Organizers at the Almonte Fair organizers, who scrambled one week before its event to find another ride provider, weren’t so kind.
The Gable Brothers operation “literally saved our hides,” said Almonte Fair vice-president Spencer Ross.
It has burned its bridges with Billy G.
“I think safe to say we won’t be doing business with Billy G in the future,” said Ross, adding the midway is a key attraction for fairgoers.
Gordon said he’s well aware of the criticism of how he handled the Ottawa-area fairs but says if the foreign worker program stays as it is, he’s not sure he’ll have a midway business much longer.
“It’s catastrophic for my business,” he said. “It’s definitely made me look at what I’m going to do in the future. My government is not supporting me and I have no idea why.”
查看原文...
