If you want to focus on what a leader is, on what a hero is; just look at the journey of one of Canada's greatest heroes, Terry Fox. Or look at the life of Margot Brandreth.

Joy and I drove up to beautiful Collingwood on Sunday, and the beauty of the drive coupled with the intensity and emotion of the audiobook we were listening to made the miles just fly by. Truth be told the only bad part of the trip was seeing a sign for the future site of highway 413. The people who want to pave over paradise should meet some of the great people of Collingwoood Ontario. That's who leaders are. Its just not about money. It's about love.

 The book we are listening to is called Hope, by Terry Fox and edited  by Barbara Adhiya. It is the reason for this connection to the Hero's Journey. Hope takes you along Terry's journey through the perspective and stories of some of  the people he met along the way. Their stories show the impact one person can have on a nation. People's lives changed because of their connection to Terry, some of these connections were brief, and all of them were profound.

If ever there was someone who followed the Hero's Journey, It's Terry. I have always seen the humble leadership with the focus on others in Terry's life  echo in many ways what I learned from the people and place that is Olympia Sports Camp. It's about a community of heroes.

This reflection is about community.

We drove to Collingwood to participate in the Hike and Bike for Hospice, an event to raise money for Hospice Georgian Triangle. The reason Joy and I got involved this year was in memory of Margot Brandreth.

I had the good fortune to teach at Bishop Reding High School in Milton for 10 years with Gord Brandreth, one of the greatest educators I know. We had a staff at this then-brand new high school that became very close and had many social occasions over the years that made the bond closer.  Margot was always a lot of fun to be around. Her energy, wit and smile often made her  the 'life of the party.' What an amazing woman!

Since my tenure at BR ended in 1996 the connection to most staff waned as life goes on. We had heard that Margot contracted cancer a few years ago and hoped that her toughness and unbreakable energy would help her beat it. 

Cancer slowed Margot down but she still kept active in community, especially the Campbell House Hospice in Collingwood.  She was the keynote speaker at the Hospice Gala in 2023 and a team called Margot's Motivators was formed and was a key fund raiser for the Hike and Bike.

Margot passed away on Sept 20 2024 and Joy and I needed to go to the celebration of life to honour Margot and to support Gord. We felt that it doesn't matter the distance or the years, when you need to do something you do it. It was great to see so many people who we haven't seen in years and that day was inspiring. 

Reconnecting after so many years, Gord invited us to participate in this year's Hike and Bike, and that's what Sunday was all about. We knew it was going to be a 20km bike ride but that's all we knew. What we learned is that love and community is what makes the world a better place. There were over 700 participants but it was the volunteering that was most inspirational. 

The Collingwood Curling Club was filled with  spirit that permeated throughout. Yes there were 700 participants but there were also 120 volunteers. Picture 700 people with row upon row of long tables. Picture the raffle prizes and 50-50 hustling that is part of all fund raisers. 700 people got fed, through some spectacular sponsors, and the announcements of the money raised created a din that was so exciting to be a part of. When they announced that they had smashed the fund-raising goal by raising $275,000 in one event the place cheered loudly. 

Then it hit me. This was a community working to save lives, make lives better, and make the end-of-life process have the dignity it deserves. Everybody is in this together. Margot ended up being a palliative care patient at the hospice she cared so deeply about. The human spirit that Terry Fox showed us in 1980 is alive and well. The human spirit that Margot Brandreth showed others in everything she did is alive and well too. 

Thanks to the people of Collingwood  for the energy and love you have for each other. See you next year!