By the time you read this message, we will probably be somewhere near the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic within our community. My thoughts and prayers go out to all our residents. On my many walks through Edgemont, I noticed a sign woven into the chain-link fence along the side of our property facing Edgemont Blvd. It was placed there several years ago and boldly says: “Edgemont Cares”. On the basis of the level of volunteerism that is in operation, I truly believe the intent of that sign. We have always been blessed with an active and well-coordinated volunteer base in our community and we are receiving the benefits in these challenging times. For those residents who are not members of the ECA, now is the time to join. Please reach out and thank a volunteer.
By now, I believe we all have a full understanding of the impact of the COVID-19 crisis both current and potential. The level of information received through various channels is almost overwhelming at times. Our volunteers and staff have made it their job to ensure that you have the information you need at a community level. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me or [email protected].
You may be wondering what your Board and Staff are involved with during this crisis. A key part of our mandate is the management of our community assets and in particular the Edgemont Community Centre. The extraordinary crisis that we are facing has caused us to shut down our facility for the foreseeable future. We, through our General Manager and staff, have done this in an orderly manner. Obviously, we are facing a significant loss of revenue in the process and some bills must still be paid. The good news is that your association has a strong asset base, which should go a long way to helping us weather this storm. We are also actively pursuing available government programs at all levels to alleviate the impact of the crisis. Another area of high attention is our staffing. We recognize that there has been a significant break in normal activity and unfortunately have had to reduce staffing where necessary. This has been done in a fair and empathic manner. Remaining staff will be focused on facility monitoring, work processes that must be maintained, continuing longer-range projects, and planning preparation for startup once the crisis lifts.
On a personal note, each of us must put our best effort forward to look after ourselves both physically and mentally. One of the few benefits of this crisis is to take the time that it has afforded to pursue new interests. Most of us have a ” B List” of pending activities or projects that we haven’t had time to pursue. Now is the time to explore these. As a frustrated hiker, one initiative that I have taken is to walk all around our great community and to its four corners. This is something I would never consider doing in my regular life. I’m sure you can think of other examples and of course, you can always volunteer your time to help others.
Finally, we need to put the COVID-19 crisis and its impact in perspective. As a history buff, I am reminded of an incident related to President Abraham Lincoln. During the darkest days of the Civil War, he was asked how he coped with the terrible situation on a daily basis. His response was: “And this too shall pass, and we will be stronger as a result.” Based on the spirit and caring shown in our Edgemont Community, I believe we too will come out of this crisis stronger.
