Settling Back into my Roots

There are a few things I have learned in my first week of work in the village of Hay Lakes. First, I think there is a saying that goes it takes a village to raise a child, well this is like that, except that instead of it being a child, or a village raising the child, it is that it takes a team to run a village.This team is comprised of community members, volunteers, village council, public works and administrative personnel. Without one of these very important team members the success of a village would be hindered. Second, people make a village, but municipal policy and procedures is what makes a village go round. Policy is critical to how everything happens in the village from snow removal to sidewalk inspection, to budget allocations and the planning and implementation of new developments. It is these policies that build a foundation for a strong, viable municipality. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, no matter how long you have been away from a small community it doesnt take much to make you feel like you've never truly left, with one of my co-workers telling me stories of my growing up years in Hay Lakes and believe it or not after 18 years of not living in Hay Lakes still remembering my birthday, it was warming to be reminded of my roots in the village of Hay Lakes.

With stories of what it was like the years my dad was on village council, and reading the policies from years and years ago that list my old next door neighbour as the go to guy for village snow inquiries, I feel honored to be back in Hay Lakes to discover more about what truly makes this village go round, as well as making a small difference towards creating a stronger, sustainable community. It's not everyday that you find people who can recall the day you were born, or have an old neighbour come in to pay a water bill and recall the summers she spent babysitting you.

My first week as intern in Hay Lakes was about settling into the village office, setting up my summer work station, re-acquainting myself with some old neighbours and beginning to learn more about all the projects I will be apart of this summer.