Thanksgiving is a good time to remember how much of Central Saanich runs on volunteers, goodwill, and people who keep saying, “I can help with that.”

I think of the volunteers with Peninsula Streams, the people who worked to preserve the old schoolhouse, put on Music in the Park, and those with the Saanich Inlet Protection Society. I think of the Central Saanich Seniors’ Centre, which my grandmother helped start, and all the people who have kept it going since. I think of the volunteers who made the community garden such a success, and Farmlands Trust, where people grow food and give it to soup kitchens and others who need it.
There are many more.

Municipal government gets attention, but much of what makes a community work happens because somebody says, “let’s make this happen.” Then they discover that this may involve a meeting, a shovel, a grant application, some folding tables, and more time than expected.

Central Saanich’s motto is “The Land of Plenty.” Thanksgiving seems like a good time to think about that too.

We are lucky to live in a place with rich farmland and people who produce food here. So I am also thankful for our farmers, for the food they grow, and for the abundance around us.

There is a lot to be thankful for in Central Saanich.