Alberta weaves volunteers into its social, cultural and economic fabric, legislature hears

The Alberta legislature building can be seen in Edmonton on Nov. 1, 2024. (CTV News Edmonton)

Sure, you can pin a dollar value on the importance of volunteers. How about the provincial estimate that volunteers generate $5.6 billion a year towards Alberta’s GDP?

But statements in the legislature Tuesday to mark National Volunteer Week, April 27 to May 4, paint a more vibrant and detailed picture of what unpaid legions mean to the lives of Albertans.

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“Volunteers are not just the lifeblood of our not-for-profit sector,” said rookie NDP MLA Rob Miyashiro, Lethbridge-West. “They are the soul of our community.”

No argument there from Glenn van Dijken, the UCP member for Athabasca-Barrhead-Westlock. “Volunteering is the heart of strong, compassionate communities. Its impact is felt in every corner of our province,” he said.

Volunteering makes “immeasurable social contributions” that go beyond meeting immediate needs, van Dijken continued. “It builds stronger, healthier communities, reduces social isolation, and helps individuals develop leadership and life skills.”

The comments from both sides of the aisle came a day after nominations opened for the Stars of Alberta Volunteer Awards, designed to recognize extraordinary Albertans whose formal volunteering makes a difference in their communities. Also eligible are volunteers who strive to knock down barriers and help create diverse and inclusive communities.

Van Dijken said volunteers through Alberta’s history have supported vulnerable populations, responded to emergencies, and enriched the province’s cultural and social fabric.

You don’t have to go far to find a volunteer, van Dijken emphasized. He shone a light on food banks, community and highway cleanups, youth mentorship and senior support activities, community and religious groups, agricultural societies and the volunteer response to the decimation of Jasper by wildfire last year.

Volunteers and their work “embody the spirit of service that makes Alberta stronger and more connected and more compassionate,” he told his colleagues.

If you’re looking for a unique way to celebrate and inspire volunteerism, Miyashiro had a suggestion: check out a Spotify playlist created by Volunteer Canada and “spread the waves.”

He encouraged his fellow Albertans to donate their time and energy to something they enjoy. Miyashiro, for example, continues to put in two shifts a week walking and biking dogs for the Lethbridge and District Humane Society.

Alberta has 27,000 non-profits, many of which rely on volunteers to deliver important services, Miyashiro said. “Volunteers make a huge difference in every one of our communities.”

Volunteer Canada, a registered charity dedicated to strengthening volunteerism across the country, estimates that in 2018 over 24 million Canadians donated five billion hours to informal or formal volunteer activities. That works out to about 79 per cent of Canadians aged 15 or older contributing an estimated 2.5-million jobs — full time, all year long.

Stars of Alberta is open to nominations until June 30. Visit the province’s website for more information.

By George Lee, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Macleod Gazette