Edmonton community league on verge of closing due to lack of volunteers

What does a community league do?

It’s a question Heath McLeod and the rest of the King Edward Park Community League get often.

There are 163 leagues across Edmonton’s more than 300 neighbourhoods. But rarely is one forced to close. That could be the case for King Edward Park in about two weeks.

The community’s estimated 5,000 residents got a letter in their mailboxes last week saying discussion about closing the league permanently is happening on Feb. 22 at 3 p.m. at their main hall on 85 Street and 77 Avenue.

The reason? Almost no volunteers and a shrinking board of directors.

“We have five people who do everything,” said McLeod, who is the league’s vice-president. “They do all of the volunteering for all of the events. We don’t have a volunteer base.”

“I think the worst part is feeling a little bit like we couldn’t do it. Because there is so much to do,” added Sylvia Shank, who has been a part of the community league for 17 years, of which 12 were as treasurer.

The community league board hasn’t had the eight people required for at least two years.

If the league closes, amenities and buildings would be at risk. The ownership of the halls would be gone, a skating rink and tennis courts would be lost, no local organization with funds and insurance to plan events and program, and no grants set aside for leagues.

“It’s discouraging,” said Whitney Caine, a King Edward Park neighbour. “It would be unfortunate. It’s really important to have that community-centric vibe especially when nowadays people keep to themselves a lot and it’s hard to get people out of the house, interacting with their neighbours.”

Community leagues in Edmonton are non-profits run by volunteers. Apart from the regular events and summer barbecues, community leagues can also advocate for issues at city hall.

King Edward Park is getting help from the Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues (EFCL). The executive director says other leagues need to think about how people want to show up in their community.

“Not everyone might want to sit on the board of directors, but they might want to be involved in a community garden, or in a big cool music event,” said Laura Cunningham-Shpeley. “When we think with leagues about how they attract new people to the community, it’s about how do you make sure there’s space for them, their ideas, to show up in the way they can.”

Getting younger people on board is a goal for Shank, who is seeing more of them in the neighbourhood.

“I think what we need to do is focus on them and see what they look for in a community. Because, a lot of our board members have been here for 15-20 years,” she said.

The goal of the entire board: not be added in the history books of being a community league that’s shut down.