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Mark Your Calendar!
2009 ARPA Annual Conference & Energize Workshop
October 29-31, 2009
The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise
Register Today!
Visit the Conference website for more information! |
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| Provincial Recreation Policy in early development stages
At last year's ARPA Conference and Energize Workshop the Honourable Cindy Ady announced plans to develop a provincial recreation policy. Since then, Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation (ATPR) officials have been preparing various background materials and draft policy frameworks in conjunction with an inter-ministry task group.
The stated rationale for undertaking such a policy focuses on concerns related to the alarming rates of obesity and Type II diabetes amongst children and youth, as well as disturbing physical inactivity rates for children, youth, and the general population. A desire also exists to enhance overall quality of life for Albertans, enable Albertans to live more engaged, active, healthy lifestyles, design and develop communities to enhance active living, and develop a coordinated delivery system.Over the past several months, ARPA representatives have been invited to and involved in focus group sessions in an effort to provide ATPR and the inter-ministry task group with relevant input and review comments. Other such review and consultation opportunities are being planned by ATPR officials over the next few months. Some of these opportunities will involve ARPA in a more directly engaged and consultative manner.
The ARPA Board of Directors would encourage all its members and allied partners/stakeholders to monitor and be active throughout the upcoming public review and consultation stages.
Further updates will be delivered through ARPA's website www.arpaonline.ca and ATPR's website tpr.alberta.ca as they become available.
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 Kids at Hope ambassadors selected
ARPA is pleased to announce that the following organizations, schools, and communities have been selected to pilot Kids at Hope in Alberta: Bashaw Youth Drop-In Foundation, Bert Church High School, Berwyn Community Services, City of Airdrie, City of Red Deer, High Level Youth Activity Centre, Municipal District of Opportunity, Paddle Prairie Métis Settlement, Redcliff Action Society for Youth, SYC After 3 Youth Enhancement Program, Town of Hanna, and the Wainwright Military Family Resource Centre.
Ambassadors from each organization, school, and community will be participating in the Kids at Hope orientation in Lake Louise before the ARPA conference. For more information about Kids at Hope, please contact Jennifer Finnigan at jfinnigan@arpaonline.ca or visit www.kidsathope.org.
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 Communities in Bloom celebrates provincial and national winners
ARPA acknowledged participating communities in Alberta's Provincial Edition of the Communities in Bloom program at an annual awards banquet held in Strathmore, Alberta on September 19th.
Communities were rated amongst others in their populations class. This year's winners include Bittern Lake (pop. 1-250), New Sarepta (pop. 251-750), Forestburg (pop. 751-2,000), Vegreville (pop. 2,001-6,000), and Whitecourt (pop. 6,001-12,000). In total, 43 communities participated in the Provincial Edition this year, with another 21 communities taking part at the national level.
In the National Edition, communities from our province were announced winners in 5 out of the 12 competitive categories: Edmonton (pop. 300,000+), Leduc (pop. 20,001 - 50,000), Pincher Creek (pop. 3,001 - 5,000), Gibbons (pop. 1,001 - 3,000), and the County of Strathcona (International Challenge - Large). In addition, criteria awards were won by Lethbridge (Urban Forestry), and the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (Landscaped Areas). Olds was the winner of the Sustainable Development Award.
Communities in Bloom promotes involvement and action by citizens of all ages, the municipal government, local organizations, and businesses. The program strives to improve the tidiness, appearance, and visual appeal of Canada's neighbourhoods, parks, open spaces, and streets through the imaginative use of flowers, plants, and trees. A focus on environmental awareness and preservation of heritage and culture is also an integral part of its success, resulting in improved quality of life. ARPA has coordinated Alberta's Provincial Edition for the past four years.
For more information on Communities in Bloom, please visit www.cib.arpaonline.ca.
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 Alberta Centre for Active Living celebrates 20 years
On September 24, the Alberta Centre for Active Living celebrated its 20th anniversary with clients, stakeholders, and friends, including representatives from ARPA. The Centre is a key source of evidence-based
resources for recreation professionals and other practitioners who
promote physical activity as part of their work. The Centre and ARPA have been strong partners for many years. Both organizations share a commitment to support Albertans being more physically active through healthy communities and strong recreation programs and facilities.
The Centre has been a long-time member of ARPA, and has participated in many ARPA initiatives, including submission of presentations and resolutions at the ARPA Annual Conference and AGM, as well as participation in major ARPA initiatives such as Foundations for Action: Vision 2015 and ACE Communities. In a similar way, ARPA has served on project advisory committees for the Centre, and has provided content for the Centre's WellSpring publication.
"We're grateful for the relationship we have with
ARPA," says Judith Down, director of the Centre. "By working together,
we are able to share expertise and support each other's vision for the
future."
For more information on the Alberta Centre for Active Living, please visit: www.centre4activeliving.ca
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 Mark your calendar for the next YDRS Symposium!
The next Youth Development through Recreation Services (YDRS) Symposium is scheduled for March 15-17, 2010. The Symposium will once be again held at The Banff Centre. This year's sessions will be themed around "Creating Youth Friendly Communities."
The YDRS 2010 Provincial Symposium is your opportunity to come together as practitioners of youth programs in the beautiful setting of The Banff Centre. Come hear from front line staff to youth policy makers about their unique youth programs.
This three-day educational opportunity is designed to provide delegates with the opportunity to:
- Learn first hand about youth development and its application in recreation.
- Hear from colleagues and peers through focused and themed presentations.
- Enjoy networking opportunities and return home with practical and applicable resources.
For more information on this year's YDRS Symposium, please visit www.ydrs.arpaonline.ca, or contact Jennifer Finnigan directly at jfinnigan@arpaonline.ca.
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Recreation Industry Awards of Excellence change of date notice
The inaugural Recreation Industry Awards of Excellence showcase event, which was originally scheduled to take place on November 26th, 2009, will now take place on April 15th, 2010.
The new deadline for nominations is January 29th, 2010. This change provides an extended window of opportunity for the preparation and submission of award nominations. Additionally, the new date allows the RIAE program to better synchronize with the Lieutenant Governor's Leadership for Active Communities Award program, also managed by ARPA. These two awards programs will now occur in alternating years.
ARPA and the Recreation for Life Foundation are excited about the Recreation Industry Awards of Excellence and believe this change of date will further enhance the success of the event. For more information on this program, please visit www.awards.recreationforlife.org.
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| Province to review geographical allocation of casino table profits and wait times
The provincial government has struck an MLA committee to examine aspects of the province's charitable gaming model and make recommendations on how to address wait times and the pooling of proceeds from licensed casino events to eligible charitable groups. Under the present model, urban municipalities receive proportionally more in casino revenues than rural communities. The committee will also review the number of volunteers a group needs to provide to conduct and manage charitable casino events.
The MLA committee is presently consulting with eligible groups to gather ideas and insight regarding fund disbursement. Meetings have been held with charities throughout the province from the beginning of the month, and will conclude on October 15th. Written submissions will be accepted until October 30th, and a final report with recommendations will be completed by March 31, 2010.
For more information, please view the official press release from the Alberta Liquor and Gaming Commission.
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Upcoming ARPA Events
2009 ARPA Conference and Energize Workshop: Weaving Values∞Spirit of Place
October 29-31, 2009
The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, AB
URL: www.2009.arpaonline.ca
Youth Development Through Recreation Services Symposium
March 15-17, 2010
The Banff Centre
Banff, AB
URL: www.ydrs.arpaonline.ca
Recreation Industry Awards of Excellence
April 15, 2010
The Citadel Theatre
Edmonton, AB
URL: www.Awards.RecreationforLife.org
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Contact Info
Mandi Wise
Communications Coordinator, ARPA
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