This week Lakes District News wrote a story about the tremendous amount of volunteer hours that members of the Burns Lake Mountain Biking Association (BLMBA) dedicated to the Boer Mountain Recreation Site just in the past year.
The combined volunteer hours added up to almost 3000. In fact, the number of volunteer hours has actually been increasing – from 2569 in 2016 to 2949 in 2017.
Since its inception, over 20,000 volunteer hours have been recorded by BLMBA members. And according to BLMBA director Dawn Stronstad, that number is still missing the work of “phantom” workers, who often help with trail maintenance and don’t report it to BLMBA.
Needless to say this is phenomenal. But it’s not just BLMBA that is doing admirable work in Burns Lake. We have so many organizations and dedicated individuals who devote their time and resources to make Burns Lake a great place to live.
This is something we should be very proud of, and it’s something we should be telling people who are considering moving here.
Canada certainly has a strong culture of volunteerism, but small towns – and Burns Lake in particular – really take it to the next level. I believe this is one of the best aspects of our beloved town, and one that I often tell my family and friends back in Brazil.
I’ve met locals who are involved with several organizations and spend a tremendous amount of time volunteering, despite sometimes having full-time jobs and families to take care of.
This culture of volunteerism seems to create a culture of “helping out your neighbour,” increasing the sense of community and perpetuating a wonderful sense of abundance.
I find this particularly interesting because I am from a country where volunteerism is not very common. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure that some Brazilians are generous and do spend time volunteering, but this culture of volunteerism is certainly not ingrained in society, and is not as valued as it is in Canada. Not even close.
For example, in Brazil we don’t encourage students to volunteer as Canadians do, and I honestly can’t think of many organizations based in small communities like the ones we see in Burns Lake.
It’s incredible that we have so many organizations to choose from in a town of less than 3000 people, and it’s easy to see how this town would not be the same if it didn’t have these groups.
Volunteerism seems to not only help the community and those who depend on these services, but it also enriches the lives of those who volunteer – giving them a sense of accomplishment, compassion and generosity.
Seeing how much this community devotes time to others has certainly inspired me to do the same, and that’s a lesson I plan to carry with me wherever I go.
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