Name: Carolyn MacLean

Occupation: Employment Programs Specialist at Ampere Canada

Advocate: Where in Kawarthas Lakes do you live and for how long? 

MacLean: Lindsay, for the last 34 years.

Advocate: It’s clear Kawartha Lakes is becoming more diverse. How welcoming do you think people are to newcomers?

MacLean: It is refreshing to see people from different walks of life join our community. They give us an opportunity to broaden our horizons to experience new ideas, cultures and ways of life. I think that there are many residents of Kawartha Lakes that are welcoming and accepting of newcomers, however this image is overpowered by the abundance of bigotry and racism which is freely expressed in community social media groups.

Advocate: What could be done to make everyone feel more included in Kawartha Lakes?

MacLean: I believe that it is important to be an ally for those that are struggling to fit into the community. This could include such things as supporting and promoting events targeted to diverse individuals, demonstrating with friends or family that negative or bigoted speech will not be tolerated, or by standing up against discrimination on community social media groups. Many allies are often afraid of backlash when speaking up. When more people are willing to speak out against negativity, it creates a feeling of belonging, knowing that there is a community of support out there, despite what the keyboard warriors say.