Arkona Mayor Doug Cook opened the ‘Migrant Worker Project Cup’ soccer tournament on Sunday, alongside Spanish translator, Pilar G. who provided the lively translation throughout the event, energizing the crowd of players and supporters, made up largely of Lambton County’s Spanish speaking migrant workers.
The event, now in its second year, is an initiative by North Lambton Community Health Centre and their TeaMWork services, which aim to provide resources to the large population of migrant workers throughout Lambton County.
The first game kicked off at 10 a.m. and soccer games played consistently throughout the tournament on three separate fields until the awards ceremony at 7 p.m.
“It’s challenging because there isn’t much time between games,” said player Anthony Duffus, a migrant worker who also played soccer in Jamaica before moving to Lambton County to work at Twin Creek Greenhouse Inc., where he picks bell peppers.
“We sub people in and out so everyone gets a turn and everyone gets rest,” explained Duffus when asked if he was worried about playing outside all day in what at times, according to the Weather Network, felt like 37 degrees Celsius.
“Most people playing here come from hot countries, but it is hot, that’s why we have one thousand drinks here!” said Andrea Jones-Peper, project coordinator of the Migrant Workers Project, who made a point to announce reminders to hydrate throughout the day to sustain players running in the heat with no shade on the playing field.
For support, team Willow Springs Hydroponic Farms was joined field side by owner John Rombouts and his family along with seasoned returning coach Paul Campbell, whose son played for the team.
“We have a small playing field for practice [at Willow Springs], but we might need to expand it, make it a little bigger,” said Rombouts, whose young son also played a few minutes on the field.
Overall, Birnam Orchards placed third, Willow Springs placed second, and first place went to Roelands Plants. Top goalie, with three goals conceded was Ismael Morales Hernandez and the top scorer was Cristian Vargas Vasquez, both of whom played for team Roelands Plants.
Lambton County EMS was on site to provide emergency care during the event, lending most of its support to the direct aid of injured soccer players.
“Lots of pulled hamstrings, groins, muscles…sprained ankles,” said paramedic Emily Frewin, explaining the next best steps for those players is “ice, rest and time.”
Which is one of the most challenging aspects. “Because they might not have time they can take off. They need to work,” said Frewin.
Challenges for migrant workers and temporary foreign workers are layered. Workers can have issues accessing health care. Health services can be hard to get to from the farm they are employed with, they may not know their rights, and even if they can access a health care provider, it likely does not provide multilingual services and language barriers bar access to health care when otherwise needed.
“I’ve been asked a lot of things here today that are actually not [injuries] from today,” explained Frewin. “I’m hearing a lot of concerns around not having health care,” she said.
The Mexican Consulate based in Leamington was also at the event, lending support and offering resources and information to migrant workers present.
“We provide information on rights, employment benefits, and support,” said Alejandro Fernandez, liaison officer for the Mexican Consulate in Leamington.
The main goal is to protect the worker's rights, he said.
They also advocate directly with employees, suggesting changes to living conditions for migrant workers, when and if they arise.
Each local health unit stipulates the minimum requirements for things like how close beds are allowed to be in sleeping quarters, how many workers can healthily be expected to share a fridge, bathrooms or access to sinks for washing or cooking, explained Fernandez.
Even when employers are meeting the bare minimums stated by health units, the reality of day-to-day living in those conditions can be more challenging. Most times, the employers are happy to comply with any suggested changes brought up by workers, said Fernandez.
When asked what a member of the community in Lambton County could offer to local migrant workers, Fernandez had one word, a simple yet all too rare act “tolerance.”
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