Kolton Stewart helps Temporary Foreign Workers after fire | Simcoe Reformer
2015/07/18 1 Comment
Nice story about the local community getting together to help temporary foreign agriculture workers from Jamaica rebuild their bunk house after a fire:
Some old-fashioned Canadian star power has been brought to bear on the unfortunate plight of six offshore workers who lost everything in a bunkhouse fire last week.
Actor-musician Kolton Stewart, 16, of Lynedoch, happened to be passing through Vanessa last Tuesday when he saw the smouldering ruins of a bunkhouse at the farm of Jim and Karen Atkinson.
It piqued his curiosity. Stewart later learned that the six men who lived in the structure lost everything they had accumulated since they arrived four months ago. Damage to the bunkhouse was pegged at around $20,000 while lost contents amounted to about $140,000.
Stewart – the star of the successful YTV sit-com Some Assembly Required – has lent his name to a Go Fund Me campaign whose goal is to reimburse the workers for their losses. Interested donors can learn more at Stewart’s Facebook page.
“It’s pretty devastating,” Stewart said at the scene Saturday. “We’re trying to raise awareness.”
Stewart has contributed $500. During his visit with the victims Saturday, he also gave the men pre-paid grocery cards.
The Atkinsons’ insurance company will cover the bunkhouse but not its contents. As for the latter, there was quite a bit.
Like many offshore workers, the six men from Jamaica plow most everything they earn into purchases that they ship to their families back home. Numerous plastic barrels inside the bunkhouse were loaded with clothing, electronics and non-perishable food items. All were destroyed.
About Andrew
Multicultural Meanderings 
I did like this article, Andrew, as I thought it gave some idea of what value our off-shore workers bring to Canada, not only with their work but also their participation and economic value they bring to our community. I feel that this part of Ontario, already quite multicultural, has been so enriched by learning and sharing from our farm workers, mostly from the Caribbean and Mexico.
And as the article relates, it was a 16 year old young man who cared enough to come to their aid and take the leadership in continuing help in recovering from what would have been a devastating loss for the men. Kolton Stewart is just a wonderful example of our youth, not only for his artistic accomplishments in his career so far, but for just being a kind and generous young Canadian.