The Chill Spot: A New Space Dedicated to Migrant Farm Workers
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
By Leah Bauer
A new space has opened in Downtown Simcoe, the aptly named Chill Spot. As assumed by the name, this new location offers a space for foreign farm forkers to relax, hangout with one another, and receive support when visiting Downtown Simcoe.
The newly renovated space, which was formerly the Capitol Arts Market, boasts board games, music, and couches to provide an ambiance where foreign farm workers feel not only welcomed, but included in the community.
Leane Arnal, founder of The Chill Spot, began her connection with foreign farm workers in the Norfolk Community years ago by “selling clothes to workers and their families back home.” In this experience, Arnal “started to realize what some of the needs were and then just kind of went from there.”
Over the years, Arnal has been involved with many community events such as the international workers/OPP soccer match, Farm-to-Farm Tug of War, as well as many paint nights, language lessons, and Sunday evening worship for international workers.
The OPP soccer match boasted “about 3,000 people last year.” This year’s event was held on Sunday, July 5th. Arnal revealed in this year’s event they will be “adding cricket, as well as a dunk tank.” These additions will accompany the lineup of the well-loved soccer match, and the farm-to-farm tug-of-war. The dunk tank will allow workers and attendees to make donations to dunk local farm owners, and members of the local police force with all proceeds going to The Chill Spot.
Foreign farm workers are often in Norfolk for periods of eight months to two years. Arnal hopes to help with the inevitable mental strain of this distance from home by ensuring foreign farm workers have access to “mental health support, activities, events, and peer support” but also to “simple things like having a library card.”
Arnal’s mission is to help foreign farm workers become integrated into the community. For Arnal, this means “being invited, and welcomed rather than just being people out in a field.”
Arnal also noted the importance of connection for foreign farm workers.
“Peer support is really important because of the isolation on the farms,” she said.
Arnal described some of the struggles of foreign farm workers.
“You’re far away from home, you’re missing milestones, you’re missing birthdays, you’re missing funerals, you’re missing your children growing up, you’re missing your family or wife,” she listed. “Being able to come in here, you know, is just a place to get away. Sometimes you can come with the people that you work with, but also be around other people and meet other people as well. We have seen people from different countries and communities joining in on games of dominoes and jenga, and just connecting in a really simple but important way.”
Foreign workers are not new to the community, as Arnal said the first plane of international workers landed 60 years ago, with the ambassadors of the program coming from Jamaica.
“There were a lot of people who came to Norfolk in that very first year,” she recounted. “We have had foreign farm workers in our community for 60 years and it is still so stigmatized to the point that people will not go downtown, or won’t let their kids go downtown.”
The stigma surrounding foreign farm workers is something that Arnal hopes to help address.
“They are a part of our community, they pay taxes, they contribute to the economy by the billions. There’s a lot of businesses who would not survive without them. They are people who have children here, who are in relationships. They are a part of our community, and they’re not apart from our community. And that has to be addressed, so all the events that I do are inclusive of the whole community.”
The Chill Spot is planning to offer paint nights, Spanish lessons, English lessons. Arnal also coordinates to get the international workers the help that they need.
“If someone comes to me and mentions that they might need counselling, or they might need information about a visa, I am not a counsellor or a consultant, but I will put them in the hands of somebody who is,” Arnal said. “If I don’t know the answer, I will help them find the answer.”
The Chill Spot, while only being around for two months, has made immense progress. Arnal recalled how the former Capitol Arts Market “became available at the right time.” Arnal is an indispensable member of the community, but she has not acted alone in getting The Chill Spot up and running. she thanked Canadian Tire for donating the paint, local farms for some of the furniture, and foreign farm workers for helping her to get it all together.
The Chill Spot has already made a big difference to the workers who visit the downtown, offering a cozy space for connection, support, and relaxation after all of the hard work they do for the community. Those interested in supporting this initiative can purchase leaves which will be displayed on the walls of The Chill Spot. A gold leaf is $1,000 for farm and business owners, the bronze leaf is $500 and is for smaller businesses or families, and the green leaf is anything below $500. Contact Leann Arnal at (519) 277-1102 to make a donation.
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