Bacon Scrapins are the little bits of meat left in the greasy fry pan. They’re tasty, but the ‘nutrition’ needs searching for. This tale is a bacon scrapin.

The three of us were sitting on Pete’s back deck reflecting on Canada Day as we had celebrated it in our ‘nine-stop-signs-sized’ community. The entire day’s activities had been organized and carried out by volunteers within the community. All the formalities, entertainment, activities, food – everything – had been organized by volunteers.

The day had started with informal pickleball matches. “The tables were overflowing with goodies,” I noted, “and even those who didn’t want to play pickleball had brought chairs and were watching, commentating and snacking with enthusiasm.”

Jorge said, “Before the flag raising, I thought that the president spoke eloquently and with pride about Canada, noting its natural resources, long borders, the second-largest country in the world, and the accomplishments over the years by multiple Canadians – native-born and very recent arrivals. He recognized that the space we live on has been handed over, through many groups of people in the last 13,000+ years, we have a responsibility to care for it in our turn and pass it along safely to the next people who live here.”

I pointed out, “The community choir performed the National Anthem and This Land is Your Land with pride and gusto. Pete had played guitar and sung during the performance and so had a big grin on his face.

“The scavenger hunt demanded creativity,” Pete added with a smile, “and the late afternoon potluck social was very well attended. There was lots of mixing of the new residents with the originals, getting to know names and appreciating each other’s experiences.”

“A full day of events all carried out by volunteers – and no fees charged to participate!” I opined.

Pete had apparently done some events searching and reported that “Canada Day this year was celebrated by downtown Kitchener for FREE; Cambridge was FREE although they were accepting donations of any amount if you chose; there was a Canada Day Community Carnival at a church in Waterloo with a BBQ, popcorn, cotton candy, exotic animals, a rock wall, STEM boat races, face painting, balloons – all FREE; there was a July 1^st Community Picnic at Waterloo Park with local artists, food trucks and giant games for FREE. The only place I know of that charged to participate was here in the township. They required $5 to let you in, and they had security to enforce whatever.”

“If it’s a township-named event, held on township property, and they have Government of Canada subsidies and lots of businesses and service clubs sponsoring them, why do they need to charge $5 to get in?” Jorge asked.

“Because this is not a Township event, although that’s what the name leads you to believe.” Pete continued. “It’s run by a group that refers to itself as volunteers and gets the township park donated to it. Its website domain’s official contact isn’t a person’s name, it’s a mix of 26 letters and numbers @ domaindiscreet.com. The contact click button is to an email which is owned by a township councillor. The only volunteer identified by name on the website is the councillor, with a large personal picture and a 7-paragraph promotional biography as a business person – and a councillor.”

“domaindiscreet.com? Discreet? Why the apparent need for secrecy?” I asked.

“I don’t know. People would have to call and ask the councillor, maybe? Might get an answer, maybe not? No response at all, to my requests, so far!” Pete answered.

Jorge summed it up, “Look at the list of Canada Day events all over this area, with all the same or more events as in the township, and there’s no compulsory entry fee. Is this group really doing this in the spirit of altruistic volunteerism as we have known it here? Do they present a public financial report, a fiscal reconciliation of all the exact dollars taken in, paid out and left over? Is there something else, maybe, motivating this business-like ‘volunteer’ organization?”

Pete observed, “The great thing about Canada Day, and every day, is we all have a chance to reconsider what democracy is, right now, in Canada. When we have multiple candidates presenting themselves for consideration in any election, it provides a better choice. Sometimes the ones we’ve got are not the ones we really want or need anymore. If they are volunteering to serve, maybe we should check that they are serving with the same altruistic volunteer spirit that we have here in our little nine-stop-sign-sized community?”

We all three raised our brown-pop cans in unison and toasted, “Out with the others. In with altruistic volunteers!”