There’s a song that U.S. singer Rob Thomas wrote and sings, Fire On The Mountain, that has the line “Where do you turn when the world moves on,” followed by “I see the future but it’s getting farther.”
This is likely how many Canadians are feeling right now, with the threat of tariffs looming and the question of whether Canada could become the 51st state of America no longer a joke, but something seriously discussed.
It is easy to feel adrift, like one of the many derelict abandoned boats floating in Howe Sound, at the mercy of the wind.
But if we ground ourselves in the here and now of Squamish, our anchor and direction forward are more clear.
While we have our differences, to be sure, there are signs of connection and care all around us.
We take care of each other here and that isn’t going to change, come what may.
Just one example of many is the Squamish Helping Hands Society Coldest Night of the Year fundraising walk, that took place on Saturday night.
On a night that could not have been more dreary, hundreds of walkers, on 55 teams and 36 volunteers walked shoulder to shoulder—or at least umbrella to umbrella—to raise funds for our community’s most vulnerable.
They raised, by the most recent tally, over $92,000. (You can still donate to help reach the $125,000 goal.)
We come together in Squamish, and as long as we keep doing that, we will be OK.
Another example coming up is the annual Guns & Hoses Charity Hockey Game, which sees Squamish Fire Rescue and Squamish RCMP members take to the ice in a friendly hockey game—Canada’s game—for charity.
The game is on Friday, March 14 at 6 p.m, at the Brennan Park Rec Centre Arena.
This time, the popular non-profit event is putting all the funds raised toward local Ryan Lagasse, his wife and two children.
Lagasse, who worked at the Public Works Department for years, is in palliative care with terminal cancer.
“Our community’s generosity can help ease [his family’s] burden during this incredibly difficult time,” reads the event listing.
Indeed.
Get your tickets on Eventbrite, by searching “Squamish Guns & Hoses Hockey Game.”
Squamish will always show up to help each other in times of need. We prove that time and again.
When you think of it that way, it is a bit easier to feel confident no matter what the future outside of our town holds.
We have got each other’s backs, and always will.
