They dreamed of creating a different kind of space, though they never imagined everything that would come after. What they did know was that they wanted to share moments and spend time with the people who are now becoming family in this place far from home. Food and traditions are things that bring people together, things that create closeness, and things they deeply missed. And so, that longing inspired the beginning of this project in a city that had welcomed them, but still didn’t fully know them.

The market came later. Friendship was what truly strengthened the beginning.

Karen, Aime, and Leyla had each been living in Halifax for three to five years when Corazón y Raíz began. Each of them had been carrying the same silent tension most immigrants know well: wanting to belong here fully and genuinely, while never stopping belonging completely to the place they came from. They spoke about Mexico the way one speaks about a place loved from afar. And somewhere within those conversations, a question emerged: why isn’t there a space in this city for this?

Karen was the connection that brought Leyla and Aime together. Three different hearts were about to unite. Mexico’s Independence Day was approaching, and all three sensed that the community longed for an authentic connection that had slowly faded in the city over time. Karen brought creative vision and an instinct for social media that could make something feel just as meaningful as it truly was, she also had been reading about immigration, belonging, and what fast-growing cities need to offer to the people arriving in search of a new beginning. Aime had already spent months creating and envisioning projects focused on building community and belonging through Mexico’s culinary heritage, preserving the warmth and essence of traditional flavors while making people feel at home. Leyla had been immersed in volunteering with newcomer groups and  deep commitment to representing her culture with care and respect.

All of this was happening while the three of them quietly listened to what the community longed for. Three different skills. Three women who trusted an idea that rose naturally and quickly, one that needed all three of them to become real.

Piece by piece, everything fell into place. Aime connected with Café Cempoal, the café in Halifax where it all began. Their first event was for Mexico’s Independence Day. The café owner, who held beautiful memories from his younger years in Mexico, believed in this unique project and offered the space to make it happen.

It was small.
It was borrowed.
It was authentic.
It was perfect.

People came. They came from everywhere. They tasted flavors that reminded them of home. They took with them handmade crafts created with love and care that reminded them of where they came from. But most importantly, they let them know that they truly felt it; they felt at home, in a little piece of Mexico, and then they asked:

“When is the next one?”

That question, still waiting for its next answer, continues to drive everything forward. They are now formalizing the organization, applying for grants, expanding their community of vendors, and planning the rest of the year event by event. But what started it all were three hearts that, while missing home, slowly became family to one another, and decided to share that feeling with an entire city.