Janette Todd

On a rather wet Thursday afternoon at the end of September, dancers from several Toronto groups gathered at the Richmond Hill, Celtic Connections Class, led by Jess Houseley.

     The gathering was to honour Janette Todd, a longtime Toronto teacher, with the presentation of the Branch Award.

     Janette, graciously accepted her award and regaled us with a few stories about her teaching experiences.  After the presentation, we enjoyed snacks and a special cake.  The afternoon ended with some of Janette's favourite dances.

~ Deirdre MacCuish Bark, Chair, RSCDS Toronto Association

And, from the RSCDS Toronto 50th Anniversary Book. . .

In September 2000, veteran RSCDS teacher Janette Todd began the Aurora Scottish Country Dancers as a new daytime group in York Region. An Aurora resident herself, Janette recognized the need for a daytime RSCDS dance venue in her local area, especially for retired folks and stay-at-home moms.

    She also knew that a meeting place for this new group could be made available at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, located in the centre of Aurora, close to the Yonge/Wellington intersection.

     Accordingly, Aurora SCD was born. The group meets for two hours every Friday at 10:15 a.m. Two sets are usually in attendance. The Aurora dancers comprise people not only from Aurora, but also from the Newmarket, Stouffville, and Richmond Hill areas. Many of these dancers are also members of other York and Durham Region SCD groups and have a broad range of experience. At the same time, beginner dancers have always been welcome and quickly become socially involved.

    Janette Todd is delighted to be able to continue sharing her considerable skills in this setting, especially after having taught (now retired) the Petronella SCD in Thornhill for almost thirty years.

. . . Barry Pipes