Now that Battle of Beaverdams Park is close to being finished, the city is almost ready to unveil its new ‘chat benches.'
As ThoroldToday reported, the city is installing special ‘chat benches’ in the newly renovated park after a request from the Age-Friendly Committee. The benches will feature a banner or card that indicates that whoever is sitting on the bench is open to a conversation.
The project is supposed to help combat everyday mental health struggles by inspiring people to connect with each other.
While it might seem like a novel idea, Thorold is not the first community in Canada to put these benches in their parks.
Back in 2017, the Association of Psychologists of Nova Scotia launched a similar initiative in Yarmouth. The project was so successful that the organization has been bringing 'chat benches' to communities all over Nova Scotia ever since.
“We’re very pleased that we’ve stumbled on this way to reach the public in a really meaningful way,” says the association’s executive director, Susan Marsh, in an interview with ThoroldToday. “It’s a simple thing to do. It’s a way of connecting with communities and with people on a one-on-one basis, which is really important.”
The idea for a ‘chat bench’ came about after a brainstorm session during a board meeting, Marsh says.
“You know those buddy benches they had in school?” she asks. “They put them in the schoolyard and they encourage kids to go and eat their lunches and sit and talk. One psychologist said: ‘Why don’t we do a buddy bench for adults?’ The idea being like that an old saying where I’m from: ‘Sit down and chat for a while.’ So we thought: ‘Let’s make it a sit-and-chat-bench.’”
After reaching out to the mayor of Yarmouth, the association’s first ‘chat bench’ was a go. Soon enough, other towns in Nova Scotia were knocking on the association's door to be included in the initiative.
Marsh says the benches are a simple but effective way of combating loneliness.
“It’s just an excuse to get out there in the fresh air and relax and say hello to people,” she says. “That works really well in the small communities. They know everyone anyway so they’re obviously more inclined to go do that. When you go the larger communities it’s a bit harder to get people out, that’s why we like a connection to a central park, like a downtown park or somewhere that is so reachable.”
Every community should have a chat bench, according to Marsh.
“The benches are important because it allows us to send a message about the importance of mental health,” she says. “From the perspective of a town or community, it’s just getting more people out and getting another bench in their area. It enriches the community.”
Marsh is looking forward to next summer when the association will unveil its latest ‘chat bench’ in Kentville, NS.
There is no exact date for when Thorold will unveil its first ‘chat bench,’ but the bench is expected to arrive in the park sometime this summer.
