Name: Cheryl Nobrega

Occupation: Customer service agent for Service Ontario, Lindsay.

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

Nobrega: I live in Lindsay and have lived here most of my life except for a few years spent living abroad.

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

Nobrega: Definitely! Growing up here it was much less diverse than it is now. I moved to the UK in 2004 and there was very little diversity at that time. So little in fact that it was very noticeable. When I moved back to Canada in 2012, I found there was a huge improvement in cultural diversity in this area.

We have a select few people and groups that put a lot of work into welcoming new people, and unfortunately, they have their work cut out for them because as a community I think we could do a lot better. When I lived in the UK I travelled to a lot of other countries and even when I didn’t speak the local language people were always so interested in talking to me just because they knew I wasn’t local. They went out of their way to make me feel comfortable and ask me questions about myself and my home. People were just so welcoming everywhere I went. I really wish people were like that with newcomers here. When you’re far away from everything you’ve ever known, and local people are kind and welcoming and helpful, it really makes such a difference in how safe and comfortable you feel in a new place. 

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

Nobrega: I think community events are a big help when it comes to bringing people together and making people feel welcome. These events bring long-term residents into spaces where they can meet new residents, and I think that’s a way to foster inclusion. We have a lot of great events in the area, but I do find most of them are targeted at specific groups of people so having some inclusive free community events that don’t focus on a specific demographic could really go a long way to bring the community together as a whole. Parades, local fairs and festivals are always such a great way for a community to come out.