Local greenhouse workers will take to the field in Chatham this weekend for a regional championship soccer match inspired by this summer’s FIFA World Cup.
The event is being organized by the Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers, the Migrant Worker Community Program, and the North Lambton Community Health Centre, and features the top teams from last year’s local greenhouse soccer tournament.
Golden Acre Farms will face Roeland Plant Farms in the championship, set for Sunday, July 26, 2026, at 5 p.m. at St. Clair College Thames Campus, Soccer Field #1, located at 1001 Grand Ave W. in Chatham.
Richard Lee, executive director of the Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers, said the tournament reflects the same spirit as the World Cup while honouring the workers behind the province’s greenhouse sector.
“The FIFA World Cup reminds us of soccer’s unique ability to bring people together across cultures, languages, and communities,” Lee said. “This championship reflects that same spirit while recognizing the hard work and dedication of the greenhouse employees who are essential to Ontario’s world-class vegetable sector.”
Members of the media and the public are invited to attend the free event. Organizers say families, friends, employers, and community supporters are encouraged to come out and celebrate the athletes and their contributions to Ontario’s greenhouse sector.
