Volunteering can be a great way to get involved in the community, especially when you are new in town.
Tony Miglecz came to Drumheller about four years ago and settled in East Coulee. It didn't take long to get involved in the community. He is currently the president of the East Coulee Community Association. Like many volunteers, he took on the role because there was no one else coming to the table.
“Basically there wasn’t going to be anyone stepping up,” he said. “I couldn’t just watch that fall to the wayside.”
He adds, interestingly enough, a couple more board members have come on board who are also relatively new to the valley.
He also saw the importance of making sure residents’ voices were heard during the flood mitigation projects and volunteered to sit on the Community Advisory Committee. That led him to become one of the organizers of the Chainsaw Wizards tree carving event.
This is going into its third year and not only has it allowed trees that had to be cut for the project to take on a new life, but also created a premier event and beautified the valley.
His reputation for being involved with these projects also led to people asking him to get involved in the Festival of Lights.
He also has taken a position as a volunteer firefighter at the East Coulee Fire Hall, and as a member of the Valley Cruisers.
He says some of the personal rewards he gets is meeting lots of people.
“It is great to get to know people, and there are a lot of issues in the valley that people talk about, and I hear from all sides. It’s a good way to know the valley,” he said. “For me it is just getting to help out and the satisfaction for me is not watching things flounder.”
“The way I see it, it is part of our mission, we're here to build the community. East Coulee is called a ghost town on some websites, but it is not a ghost town. There are lots of things going on out here, it is actually quite a busy community once you get in here.”
He says it should be an easy decision to take up volunteering.
“If you like going to the event and it was great to be a part of it, why not take a step forward? They need help with all of these events, you never know, you might find something,” he said, adding that you may have special skills or abilities needed.
“Someone has to step forward and take the reins, and, you never know, it might be you.”
