Screen grab from documentary announcement
A new short documentary is taking viewers behind the scenes of a familiar summer sight in Simcoe — the farm buses arriving in town filled with seasonal agricultural workers.
That was Filmmaker Daryl Granger.
He spoke to us about the upcoming documentary called A Night Down in Town.
Granger, at one time in his life, used to drive those buses into town — and he wanted to highlight what happens once people step off the bus.
He has been working with local farms and businesses on the project, including Strawberry Time and Skylar Farms, while the Simcoe BIA and downtown businesses are also providing support.
In addition to showing the workers, the project will also look at how local businesses have responded to the seasonal influx of customers by adapting their services to meet their needs.
Granger says workers have only a limited window to enjoy their time in town, with many buses leaving around 9 p.m.
Those who miss their ride have to find another way back to the farm.
The project is being produced as a short documentary rather than a feature length film.
Granger says he plans to capture more footage than will ultimately fit into the final production.
For Granger, the project is ultimately about telling a local story that unfolds every summer — one that can be easy to overlook.
The farm buses may be a familiar sight around Simcoe, but A Night Down in Town aims to show what happens once those workers step off the bus, and the important role they play in the community beyond the fields.
