It’s amazing how a village office can be impacted by provincial and national occurrences. Since being in the village I have realized how interconnected the world we live in is. Whether it is about Slave Lake or the possibility of a Canada Post strike, the Village of Forestburg has been affected by these events, whether it is through finding where to donate for Slave Lake or getting the newsletter, water bills and tax notices out on time before a strike is announced.
Many people believe rural Alberta is “out in the middle of nowhere” and that it doesn’t have “big problems like the big city”. I initially believed this as well, but if anything, rural villages, towns, and areas have problems like in the big city and although they may not appear to be as big of an issue, it could be a big issue because there are less people to deal with the problem, less man power to completely fix things, and the entire community is depending upon one, two, or (if you’re lucky) three people to take control of the situation. This is a lot of stress for one person to deal with.
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| This is my GANTT Chart |
While it is great believing that, as an intern, I could “change the world” or have a lasting effect on the community I am working with, I have realized that it’s not about a big project, it’s not about the GANTT chart, in fact it’s not even about research. Today has changed my view on my intern experience. Most of these municipalities don’t need big events and research about anything and everything. What they need is people to work for them. Whether it is updating the website, answering the phone, or responding to e-mails, all of these tasks need to be completed to allow the municipality to function.
Today I was working quietly at my desk when I was asked to fold newsletters. (Click here to see the INFOrestburg newsletter and past newsletters) I do not mind folding newsletters, especially when I get to talk with my co-workers and find out the latest news or major changes that have occurred over the past five years, but as I was folding newsletters I realized that many rural municipalities need people to work for them, as I have heard so many times lately they need “warm bodies” and “boots on the ground”.
As interns, we can all enter our communities expecting to re-write policies, change the way things have been done, plan a major event, or be the person in the community that everyone knows, but we can’t all be superheroes. Most communities don’t need superheroes, they already have them. Superheroes are the people working in the municipal office, the people running local businesses, and even the volunteers that run different events, programs, and activities for the community. They don’t need an intern to come in and do that for them. What they need is someone to do the simple tasks that need to get done, the tasks that may appear pointless and mundane, the tasks that no one notices when they have been completed, but if the task is not done there will be a major problem and people will notice.
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| Just your average s |
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