The sense of community in this town never ceases to amaze me. After attending several major events this past weekend and hearing about countless others I feel compelled to congratulate the entire town on its diverse culture and unyielding effort to include people from all walks of life.
It all began on Friday with a potluck at Alice Lake where Cedar Valley Waldorf School celebrated the end of the school year and gave thanks for the amazing volunteerism and spirit shown by such a wide-ranging group of committed parents. Like all schools in Squamish, there are a solid handful of families that come out time and again to keep fundraising alive, to enliven the school and community spirit, and improve things so that our children can have the best possible experience growing up in this town. Being an independent school, CVWS relies on parent volunteerism perhaps more than most, and that extends to basics such as keeping the school and yard shipshape to cutting painting paper to watering plants. It was truly heartwarming to see a host of families come together with scrumptious food (and not too many quinoa salads) to honour one another and say goodbye to schoolmates for the summer.
The following day was a big one as we headed downtown to the parade and celebration of the Martyrdom of the Fifth Guru, Gur Arjan Dev Ji presented by our Sikh community. The performances were flush with detail and more enthusiasm than I can remember from recent years. The vivid and colourful costumes, the music and the food 鈥� delicious and free to everyone in attendance 鈥� made a big impact on my two girls who are now at an age to realize how much work such an undertaking involves. The smiles and pats on the head that several grandfathers gave my children as they intently watched other youngsters perform was a connection that transcended language barriers. The joy that many of the elders take in sharing their culture makes me so grateful to live in a place where we can openly express our diversity and rich heritage with such enthusiasm and generosity.聽
We wrapped up downtown just in time to head over to the end point of the Test Of Metal 鈥� the 20th anniversary of this monumental race 鈥� and watch the husband cross the finish line awash in dirt and sweat, out of breath but filled with a sense of accomplishment. The Loggers Sports grounds were rife with endorphins as racers sporting soaked spandex and big smiles milled about a sea of upside-down bikes knocking back any manner of hydration. Riders 鈥� along with friends there to cheer them on聽鈥� convened in clusters to hear the rundown of mechanical glitches, the gnarliest parts of the course, and times gained or lost. It was also a real family affair as kids and spouses lounged on blankets intermittently dodging raindrops and too much sun waiting for their favourite athletes.
Solstice celebrations abounded in town as well, with a special lantern walk, orchestrated by Carolyn Grass and Ihor Zalubniak, taking place up top of the gondola. In past years, the couple coordinated a neighbourhood potluck and procession in the Highlands that was always incredibly festive. It鈥檚 inspiring to see them bringing it to a larger demographic and hopefully everyone had just as much fun.
The summation of my community experience last weekend spoke the loudest, in its quiet and understated way. I was selling a shelving unit and the woman who asked to come and buy it was someone I had met a few times over the year. I remembered how she went out of her way to drop off some books to my work, as I couldn鈥檛 get out to her place; she is indeed a warm soul. I was somewhat trapped at home with two girls fervently painting rocks for Father鈥檚 Day and unable to get to the store to pick up what I needed for lunch. In that moment I thought it wouldn鈥檛 hurt to ask a favour that I would cheerfully do for another mom in need: maybe she could stop at the store for me on her way over? She said yes. And I gladly gifted her the shelf as reward for her generosity of spirit.
I鈥檓 not sure that could happen in many other places 鈥� Squamish is indeed a town blessed with kind hearts 鈥� but I sure would like to think it could.
