Seite - 12 - in VULNERABLE - The Law, Policy and Ethics of COVID-19

VULNERABLE12 led to the closure of small slaughterhouses and the emergence of supersized corporate abattoirs that employ large numbers of work- ers.42 Two of the largest outbreaks of COVID-19 in Canada have been at Cargill slaughterhouses in Alberta and Quebec.43 These plants rely heavily on the labour of immigrants and temporary foreign work- ers.44 Temporary foreign workers often live in shared accommodation and share transportation to work because of low wages. Unionization has not prevented such workers from being forced back to work fol- lowing large outbreaks.45 Recent outbreaks amoungs migrant farm- workers in Ontario raise similar issues. Indigenous Peoples, including First Nations on reserves, face unique challenges in dealing with COVID-19.46 Colonialism and systemic discrimination, which are manifest in the chronic under- funding of essential services and infrastructure, heighten indig- enous people’s vulnerability. For instance, at the time of writing, 61 First Nations communities are under long-term drinking water advisories, making it very difficult to implement the basic hygiene measures to prevent the spread of the virus.47 Moreover, the well- documented overcrowding and substandard housing on reserves opinion/sarah-berger-richardson-covid-19-disruption-reveals-challenges-in- our-meat-supply>. 42. Sarah Berger Richardson, this volume, Chapter E-5. 43. Berger Richardson, this volume, Chapter E-5; Jennifer A Quaid, this volume, Chapter B-8. See also Kathryn Blaze Baum, Carrie Tait & Tavia Grant, “How Cargill Became the Site of Canada’s Largest Single Outbreak of COVID-19”, The  Globe  and  Mail (2 May 2020), online: <https://www.theglobeandmail.com/ business/article-how-cargill-became-the-site-of-canadas-largest-single-out- break-of/>; Colin Harris, “Cargill Meat-Processing Plant to Shut Down After COVID-19 Outbreak”, CBC News (10 May 2020), online: <https://www.cbc.ca/ news/canada/montreal/cargill-chambly-covid-19-shut-down-1.5563539>. 44. Y Y Brandon Chen, this volume, Chapter D-8; Stephanie Babych, “Filipino Workers Face Backlash in Towns over COVID-19 Outbreaks at Packing Plants”, Calgary  Herald (29 April 2020), online: <https://calgaryherald.com/news/filipino- employees-not-to-blame-for-meat-packing-plant-outbreaks-that-have-sur- passed-1000-cases>. 45. “Workers Return to Alberta Meat Plant Despite Union’s Effort to Block Reopening Amid COVID-19”, CBC News (4 May 2020), online: <https://www.cbc.ca/news/ canada/calgary/cargill-plant-meat-union-reopen-high-river-1.5554298>. 46. Aimée Craft, Deborah McGregor & Jeffery G Hewitt, this volume, Chapter A-2; Anne Levesque & Sophie Thériault, this volume, Chapter D-6. 47. Indigenous Services Canada, “Indigenous Services Canada” (21 May 2020), online: Government  of  Canada <https://www.canada.ca/en/indigenous-services-canada. html>; Indigenous Services Canada, “Short-Term Drinking Water Advisories” (11 July 2019), online: Government  of  Canada <https://www.sac-isc.gc.ca/eng/ 1562856509704/1562856530304>.