Homegrown tiny parade spreads kindness in small-town N.S.

Dawn Langille wanted to see positivity and happiness replace division and strife,so she started small in her community of Terence Bay, N.S.

Langille created the Tiny Parade for Kindness in 2021. She said she felt the weight of issues like the pandemic, political unrest, inequalityand climate change, and wanted a diversion.

At first the Tiny Paradewas just friends and family, but has now grown to be a public event that welcomescommunity members of all ages.

"It is a rally to encourage people to get together for something positive and good, to help our mental health in difficult times," Langille said at the parade on Monday.

Before the parade, a gatheringtook place at the community centre in Terence Bay, about 30 kilometres southwest of Halifax. It included face painting, sign making, books,snacks and music from a local band called the Prospect Jammers.

Then the group took to the road for a joyful trek around the community.

"Moving our bodies physically by being out, walking, enjoying some good music, crafting, and just getting together and connecting with each other are all really important for mental health," said Langille.

She said her own mental health journey inspired the event, and it is held in the middle of winter to bring fun and connection during the colder and darker months.

"I've struggled with anxiety and depression throughout my life, so these are all things I'm very aware of and trying to help other people out with too."

Langille's four-year-old daughter, Lily Cole, loved seeing friends and neighbours show up to the event.

"This parade does make me happy," she said, "because we're all together and that's what being happy mostly is."

DahminaDewanand Mahbubur Rahmanrecently moved to the community andshowed up to see what the event was about after they noticed it on Facebook.

"When I saw the event, the messaging is great," Rahman said. "I haven't met any of these neighbours before so it's a nice way to get connected."

Langillesaid she loves to see people come together in this way. She wants her local parade to stay small, but she hopes the idea will spread to other communities who can start their own tiny parades for kindness.