Videos encourage diversity and understanding in Timmins

A new initiative to illustrate the growing diversity of Timmins includes a series of videos to foster a welcoming and inclusive community.

Two videos were recently released as part of the Timmins Diversity Awareness Project.

“Because community members deserve to feel safe, valued and respected when living in their community, especially when … we know that Timmins requires population growth to keep up with our labour force shortage," said Madison Mizzau of the Timmins Economic Development Corp.

The videos feature local residents sharing stories and experiences, as well as inspiring messages of how everyone can help foster a welcoming and inclusive community for people from all cultural backgrounds.

Noemie Rodrigue is a local entrepreneur who volunteered to take part in the project. She was adopted from Haiti when she was an infant by a local francophone family.

To this day, she is still asked if she's new in town.

“I do enjoy people having a curiosity of like asking me but I am, am kind of stuck to oh well, you know, yeah I’m from here," Rodrigue said.

"You know they have that look and then I have to (say) I’m adopted, you know, and I have to really go into detail and sometimes I’m just in the grocery store.”

The second video features an Indigenous man and there are two more videos to come.

“People tend to connect more on a personal level, when it is shared from an individual," said Mizzau.

"We’ve seen within other communities that have been tackling similar issues that videos tend to do well spreading that message.”

Rodrigue is hoping the videos help people take the emphasis off connecting skin colour with a location.

“The approach less of like, 'oh where are you from?' or, you know, just a little bit more easygoing.”

According to the 2021 census, nearly 15 per cent of the population in Timmins identifies as Indigenous and nearly six per cent of the people living here don't identify English or French as their mother tongue.