This is the last in a series of columns which featured founding members of the new Unity Collective, a town-sanctioned group that aims to provide advice to council and the community on addressing systemic racism and diversity in Collingwood. To read through other interviews with members, click the related links at the bottom of this story.
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Despite her life’s tumultuous beginnings, the current manager of Collingwood’s YMCA managed to flee violence in her home country of Sri Lanka and make the trek to Canada with her husband to start anew.
For this week’s edition of People of Collingwood we spoke with Nilusha Premasinghe, 47, a member of the Unity Collective.
Q: For how long have you lived in Collingwood?
A: I have lived in Collingwood for 20 years. My husband and I came here at the end of 2000.
Before that, I was born and lived in Sri Lanka until my mid-20s when we moved.
My husband got a job at Blue Mountain Pottery. It was a wonderful opportunity that we really hadn’t planned on but it found us, really.
The situation back home (was) there was a lack of peace. We always had to be worried about our safety.
Q: You’re the manager of the Collingwood YMCA. What led you to that path?
A: Prior to coming here, we met someone in Sri Lanka who had lived in Canada for about 25 years. One of the pieces of advice he gave us was to make sure we got connected with a community organization like the YMCA. So, when we did arrive in Collingwood, my husband and I started volunteering at the Y.
I’ll never forget the smiling face of Sue Ann (Keefe, former administrator at the Collingwood YMCA) welcoming us to the Y. It was such a good feeling, especially when you’re miles and miles away from home. It was a heartwarming moment.
Through that, a few years later I started part-time, then full time. The rest is history.
Q: When did you first hear about the Unity Collective and what made you want to join up?
A: With my history living in Sri Lanka, my first experience with violence and racial rioting was at age 10. I remember coming home in a private transport van and the tears rolling down my face, and the fear... and so many years that followed with that sense of fear.
That all stems from systemic economic insecurity, and then it spills over to racial inequities. It can result in this very violent situation that is hard for human beings to live in.
The Town of Collingwood reached out. (The idea behind the Unity Collective) really spoke to me. Also, working with the YMCA I (oversee) many youth programs. These are some of the learnings I can pass down and make the minds of youth more open to diversity.
Q: What could Collingwood do better to address diversity?
A: I’ve always felt welcome in this community and one of the things that I choose to do is, in the times where I’ve experienced that sense of... people not wanting to meet with me, I take the time to tell my story.
I find, most often, people then understand that, just as them, I’m here for a very short time on this earth.
We all have a unique story that really has more commonality as opposed to differences.
I think that helps people understand they don’t need to be apprehensive or worried.
Q: Have you had experiences with racism locally you’d be willing to share?
A: I would say they’re very subtle. It’s not something I meet with everyday. It’s just a few instances that I’ve come across.
Sometimes people have identified me by my colour, rather than just seeing me as a person.
In those instances, I’ve been able to sit down and have a conversation.
I think with Collingwood becoming a destination for people and where people want to live, I think it’s becoming a more vibrant community with more diverse cultures.
For the most part, especially when I came to Collingwood, the majority of people I met were very interested in where I came from and they wanted to learn.
Many years ago, the YMCA gave me an opportunity on International Women’s Day to speak on Sri Lanka and my culture. One of the things that is unique about South Asian culture is we do speak a lot on community. We enjoy those relationships with our neighbours and families.
Q: What are your hopes for what the Unity Collective can accomplish moving forward?
A: Everyone is born with certain biases, or are nurtured to have certain biases as time goes by.
One of the things I hope for is that we can pause and reflect, and be open to celebrating differences as opposed to looking at it as a negative.
We should love each other and have joy! Life is too short.
Having lived in a situation where I feared for my life constantly, I think it’s such a blessing to be living in a community like this in peace.
For our feature People of Collingwood, we’ll be speaking with interesting people who are either from or are contributing to the Collingwood community in some way, letting them tell their own stories in their own words. This feature will run on CollingwoodToday every Saturday. If you’d like to nominate or suggest someone to be featured in People of Collingwood, email [email protected].
