After living in Jasper for the last 18 months, there are a few trends I’ve started to notice. 

One is that this town is full of organizers, consultative committees, groups, discussions, workshops, sports and much, much more. And, it’s not just adults, but kids seem to be readily involved in all sorts of community events and forums. Take the last two weeks for example. There have been art shows, Halloween dances, hockey, gymnastics, skiing, community dinners, sustainability workshops, Remembrance Day services, council meetings... the list goes on. 

Now, throw in a job, family and maybe a little personal time, and how do you fit it all in your day?

More importantly, how do residents come together, as one, when they’re already so dispersed throughout the community? How do individuals work out what is more important: the community dinner, sustainability workshop or their youngster’s swimming lesson? 

Surely there will come a time when everybody has just had enough and would like to sit down, put their feet up and have a beer, or the six that most Jasperites deserve with all their running around. So, are people simply “taxed to the limit” as Cpl. Dolhan put it in one story this week? He suggested that “there are so many committees in this community it is hard to get people together. And it’s hard to get these committees up and running because everybody is so involved in the community that they’re already doing 15 things.”

How very true, say all of you who work all day, organize by night and squeeze a little playtime into the weekends. How on earth can we expect you to sit down with community stakeholders and discuss important issues? After all, there is only so much a person can do in a day. The busy Christmas season – another source of stress – is one of the reasons the Sustainability Working Group cites for putting off its workshops until the new year.

Don’t get me wrong, there could be worse issues to deal with in our community than too much involvement. But, if over-involvement equals lack of involvement, where do we draw the line? When is enough, enough?