A few years ago when our “new” website was being prepared, one of our tasks at the paper was to archive all of our past issues in electronic form. This involved me having to go through our filing cabinets and pull a copy of every issue dating back to 1979 for which we had a physical copy.

Looking at all of those old papers gave me a new appreciation for the community and for many of our volunteers. There are many individuals in the Boyle Street and McCauley neighbourhoods who have given countless hours of their time not only to this newspaper, but to the community in general. Many of our current volunteers have been with us for decades, in fact.

I have had the privilege of having conversations with many of these veteran residents and learning a lot about the changes that have taken place in the area over the years. Working hard for positive social change, donating time and effort to community groups and resources, and sitting on various committees is nothing new for many people in the area. Boyle Street and McCauley have a legacy of citizens standing up and speaking out on issues that are local and sometimes controversial.

The area (and paper) has a lot of newer residents who are also volunteering and putting themselves out there on a variety of issues. I can honestly say that almost everyone I know around here volunteers in some capacity in the community.

The torch is being passed, but the flames are far from extinguished. Our lifelong volunteers are a precious resource and they deserve respect as part of the area’s history.