I’m trying real hard right now.
I’m trying real hard right now to want to continue on as a volunteer in this town, but it’s hard.
I have just watched two council meetings back to back where certain councillors went on for seemingly hours, complaining about every. single. organization. that I am a part of. That I’ve been a part of.
The chamber? Is ineffectual. The library? Not worth it. The Teen Centre? Despite having been visited by 90 percent of the teens that live in this town over the last three months, it is not attracting enough kids. Is not offering enough things for the teens to do.
Heck, I helped found Grizfest. And while the direction they went with the festival is different than I might have went, I feel solidarity for what they’re going through right now.
More than solidarity, I feel excoriated. Ripped to shreds. Of no value and ready to give up. Unloved and unwanted. As I watched the April 4 council meeting online, I would listen to certain members of council say how much they respected this organization or that.
And I would text my sister, who was also watching the meeting a single word. “But.”
And every. single. time, the next idea began with the word but. “I love what they do, but…. I support them, but… I would love to show my appreciation for the hard work they’re doing, but…
Yes, different councillors stood up for different organizations at different times. But my overall feeling after this round of budget deliberations is defeated.
There is a TRYSS AGM on April 18, and I am not sure that I am going to continue on.
I know it’s hard to relate but consider, if you will, having Mike Bernier, stand up in the provincial legislature and say, “Tumbler Ridge is a beautiful place, but town council is making a hash of it.” You would find that a bitter pill to swallow, I think. You might even take it personally.
This town chews up volunteers and spits them up. It used to be that was okay. Lose a board member? There’s two more to take their place.
But these days? Volunteers are becoming harder to find. The youngest member of the Lions Club is, as far as I can tell, at least 40. Most are a few decades older than that.
Finding new volunteers for any organization in this town? Is like pulling teeth without novocain.
Look at the Tumbler Ridge Days Society. In conjunction with the council of the day, they took on looking after the Monkman RV Park. They spent five years building a fairground. Spent $500,000 with the hopes of bringing back Grizfest.
And then, in the course of ten minutes, all those hopes and dreams get dashed. In a public meeting, volunteers get told “not good enough.”
And it makes one feel like they’re not enough. That their commitment to this community is not enough.
For the first time in five years, I am continuing one of the stories onto the back page, because honestly, I just don’t feel like taking the time to massage the paper and try and cut a word here and a word there to make everything fit. Maybe next issue, I’ll feel better. But right now I can’t help but feel that the volunteers of this community have been abandoned by the district.
And don’t forget: the district is hosting a Volunteer appreciation brunch, April 27!
Trent is the publisher of Tumbler RidgeLines.