It鈥檚 difficult to deny that life is good here in Squamish.
From world-class trails, team sports leagues and a wide range of recreation opportunities 鈥� not to mention a well-trained team of search and rescue volunteers ready to save you when a day of recreating goes awry 鈥� to good schools and a solid roster of social services available to lean on when the hard times hit, quality of life in the Sea to Sky is high.
But those amenities didn鈥檛 just pop up out of thin air. They鈥檙e often the product of countless hours volunteered by residents in an effort to make their community the best it can be.
鈥淭he importance of volunteering as I see it is building capacity for organizations that otherwise could not deliver what they deliver for our communities,鈥� said Diana Gunstone, volunteer and community programs co-ordinator at Whistler Olympic Park and a member of the recently-resurrected Squamish Non-profit Network.
鈥淲hether that鈥檚 extra hands sorting goods at Pearl鈥檚 for the (Howe Sound) Women鈥檚 Centre鈥� or helping with the Food Bank, helping coach our children with the Squamish Youth Soccer Association or the Squamish Minor Hockey Association; volunteers are building our trails which brings economic opportunity as well to our community.
鈥淭here鈥檚 so many sectors that build our community through volunteerism, from environment to education to sport; arts and culture and of course social services.鈥�
The Squamish Non-profit Network鈥檚 email list alone includes 85 participants within the community, she added.
In Squamish, volunteer opportunities within these sectors can range from the more organized side of the spectrum 鈥� like coaching, working with an environmental group or on a school鈥檚 Parent Advisory Council 鈥� to less formal volunteer efforts, such as driving an elderly neighbour to do groceries and errands, or picking up garbage along Squamish鈥檚 shoreline.
鈥淭here鈥檚 volunteers who love what they do. Whether it鈥檚 digging out trails in the woods or teaching children new skills, it鈥檚 often about giving back through doing things that you most enjoy,鈥� Gunstone, whose personal volunteer experience includes working with the Sea to Sky Nordics ski club, and with Whistler Olympic Park鈥檚 school program, continued.
While it鈥檚 clear volunteering has an enormous impact on the community, it also offers several benefits to those who are donating their time and skills.
鈥淭hrough volunteering, I see people connecting to the community; I see people learning, I see people being mentored, I see people retraining for new opportunities and then I see people being hired鈥� often it can be a step toward employment, or it can just be a step toward a personal need to participate and to give back,鈥� Gunstone said.
The benefits aren鈥檛 just anecdotal, either: As detailed in a 2018 report titled, 鈥楾he Value of Volunteering in Canada鈥� 鈥� carried out by the Conference Board of Canada and presented to Volunteer Canada 鈥� charitable activities can improve the life satisfaction of volunteers and might even improve their health.
Other research suggests that volunteers, as Gunstone noted, often gain many business-relevant skills that can lead to improved work-related outcomes, too.
The same report found that about 44 per cent of Canadians volunteer an average of 156 hours a year and estimates that these volunteers added over two billion hours to Canada鈥檚 work effort in 2017. This contribution was valued at $55.9 billion in 2017 鈥� equivalent to 2.6 per cent of Canada鈥檚 GDP.
So what鈥檚 the demographic of these volunteers? It鈥檚 just as wide-ranging as the sectors they contribute to, Gunstone said. 鈥淚鈥檝e seen young people engage and connecting, I鈥檝e seen people who have moved into the community who are looking to meet new people, and then there鈥檚 people who have retired and just have more time on their hands and they鈥檙e ready to share that with other people.鈥�
The fact that Squamish enjoys such a strong volunteer presence is striking, considering the community鈥檚 large population of commuters and the time constraints they struggle with.
鈥淚鈥檝e heard that from many who commute to work that they would love to volunteer but they spend three hours just getting to and from work, so it鈥檚 tricky. It is challenging for our community, given the amount (of people who) do commute north or south,鈥� Gunstone said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 only so many hours in the day so it鈥檚 not easy for everybody 鈥� those are some of the limitations of living in a community like this.鈥�
However, 鈥淲e really do have a wonderful community here in Squamish, full of generous hearts and helping hands, and as I speak with volunteers, we each contribute for many reasons,鈥� she added in a follow-up email, naming a passion for community, an event, a sport or endeavour; an opportunity to meet and connect with new people; an opportunity to learn and develop new skills or interests and a opportunity to help our neighbours or others in need as a few of those reasons.
