Wanderings – Support what is in your community

Over the past seven months I’ve had the opportunity to cover a variety of live music performances at the St. Lawrence Acoustic Stage. These shows have ranged from a traditional Francophone Québécois folk group Le Diable à Cinq to international recording artists the Cowboy Junkies. For me, this has been a great opportunity to get back to music journalism, which I did briefly at the start of my career and I have always enjoyed. That includes connecting with artists, reviewing the show afterwards, and, of course, attending the performance. It’s also been a great date night, and I have been known to need the brownie points.

The music acts locally have been top-notch. I thought I had a wide, varied, and eclectic musical palate — I was wrong, especially for Canadian music. There are many great artists not getting exposure on mainstream radio but should be — and I do listen to the CBC too. All that said, what struck me the most was how many empty seats were at the venue, and how many people attending were not local. The organization does a great job promoting the shows locally and regionally. Yet there were empty seats. Where else could you go to see top-class Juno Award-winning musicians for less than the cost of the gas needed to go to Ottawa, Kingston, or Montréal? In fact, some of the artists that played here for $35 a ticket also played in Ottawa (60 kilometres away) for double the ticket price plus fees. What gives?

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I am guilty of not going to the concerts locally too before it became a work assignment. Family commitments were my biggest reason not go. But my work changes coincided with fewer family members living at home, which gave me that opportunity. Looking back at some previous shows the Acoustic Stage has had, I regret not going.

I’ve noticed whether it is something like the arts or sports, local support doesn’t seem to be there like it should or used to be. This is not just going to an event, but also volunteering at events or in activities.

One of the more rewarding non-work things I have been involved with is the local soccer club. I started coaching when my oldest child’s soccer coach suddenly died just before the start of the season. The organization looked for volunteers and I said I’d help even though I didn’t really know what I was doing. Years later, my own kids have aged out and I am still here. But many are not.

When I joined the club, there was a board of nearly 15 people and many coaches. Now the board has reduced to seven which is actually a rebound from the low of three members. Getting coaches every year is more of a challenge. This year, more than half the teams did not have a coach after the teams were drafted.

A flurry of emailing, a few phone calls, some rubber arm twisting, and even begging/pleading got all the teams coached. It took right up to the last day before the season began to get that final team a coach. Soccer is not alone. Many local groups have fewer volunteers, whether it’s sports, arts, or service groups.

While there are work and family commitments at play, and the economy is no help, I think there is a larger theme here — many people don’t want to do the work. It’s easier to pay the registration fee and forget about it. Many sports organizations are now discounting registration fees to get volunteers for coaching.

Governing organizations, health units, and insurance have not made this easier. For many sports, coaches now need several courses or certifications, often paid for out of pocket by the volunteer. Health regulations make volunteering with service organizations at food events more onerous and, because we’ve become more litigious like our American neighbours, insurance regulations require more t-crossing and i-dotting than one has pens.

However, if people don’t start recommitting to volunteering in their community, just as people should be out supporting the events and activities in their community, these things will disappear. What happens then? What kind of community do we have left? Not one I want to live in.

This column was originally published in the May 20, 2026 print edition of the Morrisburg Leader.