New project serving foreign migrant workers in Lambton County

A new project at the North Lambton Community Health Center will help migrant workers while they’re employed in Canada at Lambton County farms and greenhouses.

“The purpose is to provide migrant workers with accurate information and access to available services and supports in the community to foster inclusion, social, cultural, educational and recreational activities,” said Kathy Bresett, executive director of the health center based in Forest.

“It’s quite aligned with our work so we’re happy to work together with some local community partners assisting with the project.”

Partners includes the Kineto Theater in Forest which is screening Spanish-language films, an agency providing legal support and a local group providing help with bicycle safety for migrants relying on bicycles to travel in the community, Bresett said.

“We have translation services being implemented as well,” she said.

A formal project launch is being held June 23, 9 am, at the Royal Canadian Legion hall in Forest on Albert Street.

A bike safety event is planned for July 23 and a soccer tournament between local farms and greenhouses is set for Aug. 20, Bresett said. Other events are also being planned.

A coordinator and navigator have been hired for the project which received about $240,000 in funding from the federal government. The funding runs to March 2024 but it’s hoped the project can continue beyond then, Bresett said.

There are about 7,000 temporary foreign workers in the region including Sarnia, Lambton County, Chatham-Kent and Windsor, Bresett said.

It’s estimated that in Lambton County, that includes about 300 workers from Mexico, 150 from Jamaica, 19 from Thailand and 21 from the Philippines, she said.

“The orchards, as well as the greenhouses, are kind of the main areas where people are working,” she said.

The federal government announced $3.2-million in December for Workforce WindsorEssex’s TeaMWork project supporting temporary foreign workers in Windsor-Essex, Chatham-Kent and Sarnia-Lambton.

“The TeaMWork Project is thrilled to partner with the North Lambton Community Health Center in support of migrant worker communities in Sarnia-Lambton,” Monica Champagne, TeaMWork Project lead with Workforce WindsorEssex, said in a news release.

“The active involvement of numerous community partners in Sarnia, Forest, and across the county, exemplify the collaborative spirit deeply embedded within the community,” Champagne said.

Bresett said the health center was approached by local economic development officials about becoming involved.

“We worked together with them and they helped us with our proposal,” she said.

The community health center has experience working with individuals “who may not be that well connected” to the community, Bresett said.

Some migrant workers have also used the center to receive health care, she said.

The Windsor agency has been assisting with the local project, Bresett said.

“They’re very keen on ensuring that the people coming to Canada are receiving services that are connecting them to the communities and making them feel welcome, and those kinds of things that are important when you’re away from home.”

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