In praise of local volunteers
When is the last time you were helped by a volunteer? Chances are, it was pretty recently. Volunteers guide our kids into the school at drop-off time, they direct us to the right area at the hospital, they take our tickets at community events, they help us adopt the right pet, they serve us soup after we’ve donated blood, they loan us wheelchairs after we have surgery, they organize most of the great events that happen every summer, and more.
A Lethbridge without volunteers would be one without a Dragonboat Festival (thanks, Rotary!), without guided nature walks through the coulees (thanks, Helen Schuler Nature Centre!), without the peace and beauty of a Japanese garden (thanks, Nikka Yuko!), and without an independent radio station (thanks, CKXU!). In short, it wouldn’t be the Lethbridge we love at all.
National Volunteer Week just wrapped up, and Lethbridge is fortunate to have a wealth of volunteers to celebrate. If you are one of them, my heartfelt thanks go to you. Volunteers are the often-invisible workforce that makes many of our jobs possible, that brings art and culture to everyone, and that builds our communities. Whether you are serving on a board of directors or serving meals to hungry people, you make our city a better place.
I can’t talk about superstar volunteers without telling you about Lethbridge’s own Imogen Pohl. She has volunteered for a wide variety of organizations, and won numerous awards for her service. This past fall she was one of only six people to be chosen for a Stars of Alberta award, and she has just returned home from receiving the incredibly prestigious Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers, presented by the Governor General of Canada. Quite evidently, Lethbridge is lucky to have her.
If you aren’t volunteering but you are interested, there is no better place to start than Volunteer Lethbridge. The staff and (yes) volunteers there will help you find the placement that is right for you. Do you want something ongoing or event-based? Working with people or animals? Out front or behind the scenes? They have an opportunity for you. Find them at
Many constituents have contacted my office in recent months to voice their concerns about an injured young black bear found near Bragg Creek. Albertans are compassionate, and we care deeply about the well-being of our province’s wildlife. I want to thank everyone who reached out, and I am happy to share some good news on this file.
Alberta has a new policy to allow approved wildlife rehabilitation facilities to accept orphaned black bears cubs. We carefully consulted on this, as we wanted to make sure that any changes were in the best interest of wildlife and humans, and informed by the best available scientific research. Approved rehabilitation facilities will work closely with wildlife management biologists to ensure that orphaned cubs are able to survive on their own, interact appropriately with other bears, and avoid conflict with humans. While there are many approaches to bear rehabilitation, the best results seem to come from programs that minimize bear-human interaction, and maximize socialization between bear cubs. Our draft protocol has been developed with this in mind. We want to provide appropriate and timely human help, to get these bears back to the wild as soon as is safe.
If you see a bear in the wild, do not approach it. Not all lone cubs are orphaned; mother bears will often leave their cubs for long periods of time while they forage or look for a new habitat. If you believe a cub is orphaned, call Fish and Wildlife at 310-0000. They will monitor the situation and take appropriate action if needed.
It is a core Alberta value that we maintain a natural landscape shared by animals and humans. New backcountry huts in the Castle region will expand our ability to spend quality time with our families, attract new visitors, and open up backcountry experiences to people with limited mobility. These huts will be modern and sustainable, and will benefit from the expert management of the Alpine Club of Canada. The huts are expected to open this fall, and I have already had constituents tell me they can’t wait for fall to come!
You can contact my office at 403-3294644, or at lethbridge.west@assembly.ab.ca.
Shannon Phillips is the NDP MLA for Lethbridge West. Her column appears monthly.