Fort McMurray Factor claims the volunteer centre
Editorial appeared in Fort McMurray Today Friday, April 7, 2006.
As reported in our paper today, Wood Buffalo Regional Council will officially stop funding the Volunteer and Information Centre on Tuesday. The doors have been closed on the centre for more than a month.
The Fort McMurray Factor, the bane of many a budget, has claimed another victim. The centre couldn't keep up with the city's spiralling rent increases; the group's space in the Hardin Street building leapt 300 per cent in just six months. And the centre could not afford to offer more than $25,000 a year to its employees, making them unable to compete even with fast-food franchises in Fort McMurray. With housing as expensive as it is in the Oilsands City, workers had better have additional household income to afford working at the centre. Forget about attracting anyone to Fort McMurray who then has to find housing on that salary.
Unfortunately, the same factors that spelled the demise of the centre were at the same time making it more necessary than ever.
The cost of living is rising faster than even our elevated salaries, so more and more people are getting left behind every day, people who need our help. When people need to work more to keep up, spare time for volunteering goes out the window.
Fortunately, as evidenced by the United Way's most recent campaign, McMurrayites are generous. Now, we need to give time as well as, or instead of, money.
© Copyright 2006, Fort McMurray Today.
As reported in our paper today, Wood Buffalo Regional Council will officially stop funding the Volunteer and Information Centre on Tuesday. The doors have been closed on the centre for more than a month.
The Fort McMurray Factor, the bane of many a budget, has claimed another victim. The centre couldn't keep up with the city's spiralling rent increases; the group's space in the Hardin Street building leapt 300 per cent in just six months. And the centre could not afford to offer more than $25,000 a year to its employees, making them unable to compete even with fast-food franchises in Fort McMurray. With housing as expensive as it is in the Oilsands City, workers had better have additional household income to afford working at the centre. Forget about attracting anyone to Fort McMurray who then has to find housing on that salary.
Unfortunately, the same factors that spelled the demise of the centre were at the same time making it more necessary than ever.
The cost of living is rising faster than even our elevated salaries, so more and more people are getting left behind every day, people who need our help. When people need to work more to keep up, spare time for volunteering goes out the window.
Fortunately, as evidenced by the United Way's most recent campaign, McMurrayites are generous. Now, we need to give time as well as, or instead of, money.
© Copyright 2006, Fort McMurray Today.
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