A time and location has been announced for a crucial meeting that will decide if there will be an 112th Aldergrove Fair next year.

Robin McIntosh, who just stepped down as president of the fair, described the Tuesday, Nov. 14th meeting as a 鈥渇inal push鈥� by the Aldergrove Fair鈥檚 all-volunteer board to find enough directors.

鈥漌e need leaders and support members for [14 positions] and currently only have five ready to step into these roles,鈥� McIntosh warned.

The meeting will be held at 7 p.m., at 3127 248th Street, in a meeting board room on the premises of a board member.

鈥淸It] will decide whether there are enough team members to move forward on building a 2023 Aldergrove Fair to celebrate 112 years, or whether to take a year off,鈥� McIntosh said.

READ ALSO: Overworked and burning out: a plea for help from Aldergrove Fair volunteers

Right now, there simply aren鈥檛 enough volunteers working on Aldergrove Fair Days, and the ones who are left, are being overworked and burning out, the board has warned.

While the fair was able to find close to the number of volunteers it needed for the days the fair was open this year, they are short people who can handle the essential advance planning.

READ ALSO: That鈥檚 a wrap: another successful Aldergrove Fair

Non-profit groups across Canada are reporting difficulty finding volunteers.

A survey by Statistics Canada, released late last year, found 60 per cent of organizations reported difficulty in recruiting and retaining volunteers. About 30 per cent of organizations have had to change or close programs or shut down altogether because they can鈥檛 find enough volunteers.

Organizations like Volunteer Canada, YWCA, Habitat for Humanity, and smaller groups like Caravan Farm Theatre in B.C. all report the number of volunteers dropped during the pandemic, and has not recovered.

A released early last year suggested the COVID aftermath has made health and safety risks a concern for a many volunteers, especially seniors. It showed 22 per cent of those surveyed 鈥渟topped volunteering altogether during the pandemic.鈥�

In neighbouring Surrey, a lack of volunteers was cited as the reason last year after more than 50 years in operation.

At the time, coordinator Pat Patton commented that 鈥淚鈥檓 still doing the work of four people and I can鈥檛 keep going.鈥�

This year, , reported it was down to 150 volunteers serving 1,000 clients.

In B.C. several fall fairs reported problems finding volunteers this year, including the Comox Valley Exhibition in Courtenay, which had less than half the 100 volunteers required, and the Alberni District Fall Fair in Port Alberni, where a shortage was being blamed for volunteer burnout.