Skip to content

Robert Barron column: Volunteers desperately needed

Robert’s column
11489502_web1_Robert-My-Thoughts-on-That
Robert’s column

Fully volunteer fire departments in small communities across the country may soon be a relic of the past.

The diminishing number of volunteers at fire departments in the Valley and across Canada has been an increasing issue for years, and that has some local departments considering alternatives.

They include the Mill Bay fire department, which is looking at adding paid and full-time firefighters during the daytime while volunteers would still handle the night and weekend shifts.

The department, which is in an independent fire protection district funded by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, has determined that adding $250,000 to its annual budget would cover the cost of wages and benefits for a four-person team of fully trained, qualified firefighters and first responders.

However, that plan of action requires the support of taxpayers and some in the Mill Bay community fear that these projected costs could be just the tip of the iceberg of the actual costs of switching to a new composite fire department comprised of both paid and volunteer firefighters.

David Slade, chairman of the board at the fire department, acknowledged that other complications may also arise if the department decides to move forward with the concept.

He said they include rivalries and grudges between the firemen who work their jobs as full-time careers, and the volunteers who work at other jobs and do their best to fit in their many responsibilities as firefighters as best they can.

But it’s brand new territory for much of the Valley that must be considered as we see the number of volunteers in all fields diminishing over the years.

Vast numbers of volunteers could be counted on in the past to fill numerous roles in communities, including coaching sports, working with service clubs and joining coast guard auxiliaries, but times are changing.

There are many reasons for this, with current economic realities that see people having less time to spend volunteering playing a part, the increasingly transient nature of jobs and housing that force people to move from community to community, and the uncomfortable fact that many have just lost interest in helping others and prefer to spend more time on individual pursuits.

But there’s a price to pay, in many ways, for this change in priorities and everyone who lives in small communities could see some of the attractions of small-town living take a hit as a result.

My fear is that living in small-town B.C. will soon resemble life in the larger centres where most people tend to stay to themselves, immersed in their own worlds, and don’t take the time to get to know their neighbours and their community.

After all, up until present times, small communities were all about being good neighbours and pulling together for common causes.

But, back to the Mill Bay fire department, Slade said he hopes there will be a big turnout at the department’s AGM on April 26 at Mill Bay Hall #1 at 2675 Lodge Pole Rd. at 7 p.m. when the issue of bringing on full-time firefighters will be addressed.

“The best-case scenario is that the room at the AGM will fill up with volunteers and take care of this problem without the added expense to taxpayers,” he said.

I hope he’s right, but current trends suggest not.



Robert Barron

About the Author: Robert Barron

Since 2016, I've had had the pleasure of working with our dedicated staff and community in the Cowichan Valley.
Read more