Ten years ago, one watching the annual Canada Day parade in Cobourg, Ontario wouldn’t have seen any representation of immigrant cultures. Last year’s parade featured the traditional costumes of cultures from all corners of the world, from China to India, Korea to Columbia, Hawaii to Spain, all gathering together to celebrate diversity and patriotism.
Thelma Dillon is the founder and driving force behind the Northumberland Multicultural Dance Troupe. She watched that parade in Cobourg ten years ago. “I was a new minority in Cobourg,” she remembers. “I felt unrepresented. I knew that there had to be others who felt the same way.”
The following year, Thelma appeared in the parade for the first time. Since then, her dance troupe has grown to include dancers representing the many cultures who have made their homes in Northumberland County, as well as invited guests from cities throughout Ontario joining in to present their cultural traditions at festivals and events. The troupe maintains a packed performance schedule of fund and consciousness-raising events both within Northumberland County and farther afield in Ottawa and Toronto. Thelma is the Troupe Manager, Choreographer and Performance Coordinator.