employment

Canadian Nursery Landscape Association Launches National Grant Program to Address Horticultural Labour Shortage

14 April 2026April 14, 2026Kyla HardonLeave a comment

New national program supports workforce entry, retention, and long-term industry growth.

Milton, Ontario - The CNLA is launching Digging into our Future, a new national employee grant program designed to support the attraction and retention of new employees in the horticulture and landscape industry.

The program will provide 10 grants of $1,000 each to eligible new entrants working in qualifying horticulture and landscape roles across Canada. The grant is paid directly to the employee in two stages: $500 upon entry into a qualifying position and $500 after four months of continuous employment with the same employer.

Digging into our Future is intended to reduce barriers to entry, support employment continuity, and help strengthen the horticulture workforce by encouraging new people to build lasting careers in the industry.

“Labour remains one of the most pressing issues facing our sector,” said Jeff Foley, HR Chair, Canadian Nursery Landscape Association (CNLA). “This program is designed to support new entrants directly by helping reduce barriers at the start of employment and encouraging retention in the months that follow. It is a practical way to support people entering the industry and help strengthen the workforce over the long term.”

To be eligible, employees must be newly entering the horticulture or landscape industry, be legally eligible to work in Canada, work in a horticulture-related role, work a minimum of 35 hours per week, and not be an immediate family member of the employer. Grant payments will be issued only to the eligible employee, subject to program requirements and verification.

Eligible employers must operate within the horticulture or landscape sector, be members of a Provincial Nursery Landscape Association, comply with employment standards, remain in good standing with no outstanding violations, and agree to program verification and reporting requirements. Only one application per company will be accepted.

Applications must be submitted within 30 days of hire and must include proof of employment, an employer verification form, and an employee declaration. To receive the second payment, the employer must confirm that the employee has completed four consecutive months of employment with the same employer.

Applications will be reviewed based on eligibility, submission completeness, and funding availability. CNLA may audit applications and conduct random verification checks. False or misleading information may result in repayment of funds and disqualification from the program.

For more information about Digging into our Future, including eligibility details and the application form, visit www.cnla.ca/grants

About CNLA
The Canadian Nursery Landscape Association (CNLA) is a national federation of provincial associations representing members in the landscape, garden centre, and nursery sectors across Canada. CNLA works to support a strong, professional, and sustainable ornamental horticulture industry through advocacy, education, and workforce development. Learn more at www.cnla.ca/grants

Update Advertising Requirements for TFWP

13 April 2026April 14, 2026Kyla HardonLeave a comment

New Recruitment Requirements for Low‑Wage Positions (Effective April 1, 2026)

To continue protecting the Canadian labour market and reinforce the priority hiring of Canadians and permanent residents, the TFW Program is introducing two new recruitment requirements for low‑wage positions.

These requirements apply to Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) applications received on or after April 1, 2026.

Employers must:

Advertise the position for at least 8 consecutive weeks
- Advertising must take place within the 3 months prior to submitting an LMIA application.
- The full advertising period must be completed before the LMIA is submitted.
Demonstrate targeted recruitment efforts to reach youth (ages 15–30)
- Employers must show that reasonable efforts were made to encourage youth to apply and be hired before seeking a temporary foreign worker. This can include posting on Job Bank (youth section) and youth job boards, working with schools or colleges, participating in youth employment programs, or using other platforms commonly used by youth.
- These youth‑focused efforts are in addition to, and do not replace, existing recruitment requirements.

General Recruitment Requirements – Key Reminders

Before hiring a temporary foreign worker, employers must make reasonable efforts to hire or train Canadians and permanent residents.

For positions in the High-wage Stream or Low-wage Stream , employers must conduct at least 3 recruitment activities to select qualified Canadians and permanent residents.

Employers must review and consider all applications received from Canadians and permanent residents, regardless of whether they are submitted through Job Bank or other recruitment methods used for the position.

Employers are required to retain recruitment and advertising records for a minimum of 6 years and may be requested by Service Canada as part of LMIA assessments or compliance activities. In Quebec, eligible employers for the traitement simplifié must keep recruitment and advertising records even if they are not required to submit these documents at the time of submission.

All required advertising must be completed within the 3-month period before submitting an LMIA, with at least one recruitment activity ongoing until a positive or negative LMIA decision is issued.

The job offer should be consistent with the reasonable workforce needs of the business, and the content in the advertisement should be in line with the position being sought through the TFW Program.

Employers in Quebec, wishing to hire temporary foreign workers, must also consult the MIFI website for provincial requirements.

Please note that there are variations to the requirements on recruitment and advertisement, particularly for primary agriculture positions using the streams for high-wage or low-wage positions.

Mandatory Use of Job Bank: Job Match and Direct Apply

When using Job Bank, employers must ensure that both Job Match (except for primary agriculture positions) and Direct Apply features are enabled and used.

Within the Job Bank employer account:

Canadian citizens/permanent residents are identified by a red maple leaf
Temporary residents are identified by a character icon

The TFW Program monitors activity on Job Bank to ensure that requirements are met. Disabling Job Match or Direct Apply or failing to consider qualified Canadian or permanent resident applicants may result in a negative LMIA decision.

Additional information

You may consult the TFW Program website for more information on variations to the minimum recruitment and advertising requirements, including primary agriculture positions using the streams for high-wage and/or low-wage positions.

To learn more about the TFW Program, visit Canada.ca or reach out to the Employer Contact Centre.