B.C. fiddler’s group removes member from ‘all active roles’ over presence at white nationalist event | CBC News
Listen to this article
Estimated 4 minutes
The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.
A Prince George music group that regularly performs at civic celebrations, including Canada Day, has removed one of its members from all public-facing roles following their presence at a white nationalist conference in Vancouver.
The Prince George branch of the B.C. Old Time Fiddlers’ Association (BCTOFA) posted a statement on its website indicating Thea Coburn has been barred from “all active roles within the club, including teaching, playing with the club at dances or community events and taking part in Jamboree,” following their attendance at a “questionable event.”
“We reject all forms of discrimination, bigotry, bullying or intimidation, as we believe these behaviours and attitudes have no place in our organization,” the statement says.
Though she is not named, internal emails shared with CBC News confirm the statement is referencing Coburn.
Coburn’s continued activity with the Old Time Fiddlers led several members and musicians to cut ties with the club after the non-profit Canadian Anti-Hate Network (CAHN) posted images of her walking into a July 2025 event in Vancouver organized by a group called Exiles of the Golden Age, alongside two of the conference’s organizers, who have been identified by a CBC News investigation as a white nationalist organization.
CBC’s visual investigations unit identifies attendees of a neo-Nazi conference held in Vancouver using video from the Canadian Anti-Hate Network. We find mixed martial arts gym owners, coaches and personal trainers who serve a diverse clientele, including children. Experts tell us this gathering shows that Canada’s fascist movement is building alliances.
CBC News has reached out Coburn on multiple occasions, including after news of her removal from public-facing roles with the fiddlers’ association. She has not responded. CBC News has also reached out to the B.C. Old Time Fiddlers’ Association and the Prince George branch, but they have not agreed to an interview or shared any public statements beyond what has been posted online.
In January, the Prince George Symphony Orchestra (PGSO) placed Coburn on leave from her role as operations manager as it investigated her presence at the conference. In February, it announced Coburn’s contract had been terminated without cause in a parting described as “amicable.”
But Coburn continued to perform with the Prince George Old Time Fiddlers, the founding branch of the BCTOFA that traces its roots back to the 1960s. The local group consists of more than 50 members and is a regular presence at civic events, including the city’s free Canada Day celebrations as well as the recent Coldsnap Music Festival and Robbie Burns Night, co-hosted by the PGSO. Both Coldsnap and the PGSO receive provincial, federal and municipal funding as major arts organizations in Prince George.
It was Coburn’s continued presence with the Old Time Fiddlers at these recent events that led to some musicians and members cutting ties with the organization.
CBC News has confirmed at least three board members have resigned over the issue, and has spoken to musicians who say they no longer wish to be affiliated with the group.
Among them is Jarred Albright, an Edmonton-based musician who was scheduled to perform with the Prince George group at their upcoming spring jamboree.
“I do not feel comfortable aligning myself with the organization until proper reparations are made,” he said in a letter to the board and shared with local media earlier this month.
In an interview with CBC News Wednesday afternoon, Albright said he was glad to hear the club was taking steps to address his concerns publicly, but also worried it was “too little too late.”
“It’s a small step in the right direction,” he said, but added he would have liked to see action taken much earlier, before he went public with his concerns.
