It was a tumultuous week at Westlock County with reports of a physical altercation between councillors at an April meeting.
But if you’re hoping to hear our take on the alleged brouhaha, you’ll just have to wait as this week is all about volunteerism.
It was volunteer appreciation week with the town acknowledging its volunteer base on Thursday night at the Rotary Spirit Centre, while down the road the Clyde Agricultural Society held its annual Ag 500 event Saturday night — a night used to proclaim that community’s volunteer of the year.
Volunteers are the backbone of our communities — it almost comes across as a buzzword because it’s said so often.
But it’s the truth.
Working with smaller municipal budgets and fewer resources means that if we want services, recreation and events in this community, it’s up to volunteers to make it happen.
Could you imagine what Westlock or Clyde would look like without volunteers?
It wouldn’t be a pretty.
There’d be no organized minor sports, museums, or arts and entertainment. The food bank wouldn’t exist, or our volunteer-led fire departments.
There are more than 60 volunteer-based organizations within the community that ensure residents maintain a high quality of life. Old and young alike, these are our friends and neighbours and our uncles and aunts.
And in Clyde, it’s one of the major factors in that community’s viability.
The Clyde Agricultural Society, a volunteer organization, relieves the village of recreation by maintaining essentially the entirety of that community’s recreational and community properties.
So, without the ag society residents would either have to go without those services or pay higher taxes.
So suffice to say that volunteers are the lifeblood of our area — realistically, every week could be volunteer appreciation week with the amount of hard work they put in.
So, next time you’re at a ball game, or wandering by the fire hall, stop and say thanks to men women who give so much back and ask for nothing in return.
