I’m Roy Campbell and I’m from Montego Bay. I’ve been travelling here since 1985, always on the same farm. I decided to come to Canada because of my family. It brings in more funds for me with six kids. This is a big part of my livelihood. It helped me afford for them to go to school. My wife Glorene is a great person. She gives me strength. I was coming here for seven months and she took care of the kids and ran the business – we run a grocery store.
Our oldest is 47 and he’s now working in Niagara Falls. I have two kids in the United States and three daughters in Jamaica. I’ve got 18 grandkids in total and one great grandkid.
If someone asked me about applying for this program, I’d say take it like the snap of your fingers. I am working here for 39 years and it’s just like working with my family back home. I am always happy to come back.
I’d like to tell Canadians that when they see us on the street that they should look at us like we matter, because your families matter, teachers matter, nurses really matter, doctors really matter cause they do something for you right. Cause of the farmer, we come here just the same to work on the farm to help feed them. And we never frown, we come to work every day happy to work. They should know that and respect us because we are helping to provide.
If I could ask the government one thing, it would be to look into the unemployment insurance system. When we go home we don’t work as many don’t have jobs. We pay into unemployment when we are here just like people here but we can never collect. They should look at us as one of their own.
The last thing I want to say is thanks to my boss and his family, they helped me to be where I am today. So that is powerful to me.