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| ARPA's e-Newsletter |
April 2010
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Mark Your Calendar!
8th Annual Charity Golf Tournament
June 14, 2010 at
The Derrick Golf & Winter Club
Register Today!
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 Inaugural awards gala celebrates recreation industry excellence
The Recreation for Life Foundation gathered Alberta's industry leaders in the recreation and parks field yesterday at the Citadel Theatre in Edmonton for the inaugural Recreation Industry Awards of Excellence. The gala event honoured the achievements of those within Alberta's corporate sector who exemplified the very best in the development of recreation, parks, and community building.
"The Recreation Industry Awards of Excellence provide a significant opportunity to recognize and celebrate the vital role of Alberta's corporate sector in providing recreation and parks services, products, and infrastructure that make our communities great places to live," says Barry Mitchelson, Chair of the Recreation for Life Foundation. "We firmly believe that personal health, community well-being, and quality of life in Alberta are directly tied to the achievements and innovation of these outstanding corporations and organizations."
Award recipients included:- Architecture | ATB - Stephen Barr Award of Excellence for Recreation Facility Design
- Strathearn Heights Consulting Team - Award of Excellence for Community Design
- Blue Imp - Award of Excellence for Innovation in Recreation Products & Retailing
- 21one Events Management - Award of Excellence for Recreation Marketing & Advertising
- Dillon Consulting Limited and the EVDS Urban Lab - Award of Excellence for Parks & Open Space Design
- PCL Construction Management Inc. - Award of Excellence for Constructing Recreation Spaces & Places
Correspondingly, John Furlong, CEO of VANOC, delivered the event's keynote address, which focused on the significance of recreation and sport to country, province, and community building, and the importance of developing local, grassroots sport and recreation infrastructure for the health of citizens, and the development of emerging elite athletes.
For more information on the Recreation Industry Awards of Excellence, please visit www.awards.recreationforlife.org, or contact Kathleen Badry, Fund Development Manager, at kbadry@recreationforlife.org.
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 Kids At Hope Tour inspires communities across Alberta
Between April 5-14th, the Kids At Hope tour made a whirlwind trek throughout Alberta. Over nine days, Rick Miller, Founder and President of Kids At Hope, visited and spoke in High Level, Paddle Prairie, Calling Lake, Bashaw, Camrose, Olds, Hanna, Aridrie, Calgary, Edmonton, and Red Deer. It total, 20 Kids At Hope...NO EXCEPTIONS! presentations were delivered, promoting province-wide awareness of this inspiring, hope-based belief system.
Kids At Hope is not a program, it's about building a social culture of the
same belief that all kids are at hope and not youth at risk. The three
"universal truths" of Kids At Hope deeply resonated with those who attended the presentations. They include: (1) children succeed when they are surrounded by adults
who believe they can succeed; (2) children succeed when they have
meaningful and sustainable relations with caring adults; and (3)
children succeed when they can articulate their future.
"It's
about changing the thinking of the community. In here we look at [the
youth] as being amazing and full of gifts. And that's how we want the
community to think," says Monica Soltys-Starrett of Strathmore.
"It's not just about us or teachers telling them they will be
successful. It's about an intricate relationship with an adult...
Somebody tagging the side of the high school with spray paint can be
introduced to an adult artist who can get their art out."
Rick Miller's mission is to transform entire institutions and communities from "at risk" to "at hope" in order to guarantee the success of all children, without exception.
For more information on Kids At Hope, please visit www.kidsathope.orgor contact Roxanne Gingras, Children and Youth Program Coordinator, at rgingras@arpaonline.ca.
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 Encana partners with ARPA as Provincial Presenting Sponsor of Communities in Bloom
ARPA is very pleased to announce that it has arranged a three-year partnership with Encana Corporation as the Provincial Presenting Sponsor for Communities in Bloom Alberta. ARPA has had the benefit of Encana's sponsorship and support for the Active Communities and ACE Communities initiatives over the past four to five years. ARPA and Encana share strong interests in making Alberta's communities the best they can be, and that they truly inspire local leadership, volunteerism, capacity building, and enhanced quality of life.
 Preparations are now well underway for the 2010 Alberta Provincial Edition of Communities in Bloom. The deadline for communities to sign up for this year's program was March 31st, and nearly 40 communities will be participating in a variety of categories. A training and orientation session for this year's judges also recently took place. The session saw over 20 volunteer judges from across the province gather for two days of training and networking, including a presentation from former City of Edmonton Councilor and Communities in Bloom supporter Michael Phair.
The summer judging schedule will be compiled over the coming weeks and judges will begin traveling throughout the province evaluating communities beginning on July 12th. This year's Communities in Bloom Alberta Awards event will take place in Provost on September 18th.
For more information on Communities in Bloom, please contact Dan Chambers, Provincial Coordinator, at cib@arpaonline.ca.
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 ARPA assumes oversight of the Lifestyle Information Network
As of this month LIN (and the National Recreation Database) made a final and smooth transition to ARPA for governance oversight and general operations. At its April 16th meeting, the ARPA Board of Directors ratified the final transition details that would effectively have a new LIN Board (comprised of ARPA selected representatives) undertake governance and operational responsibility for LIN.
A National Leadership Council will also be created to advise and support the continuing development and evolution of LIN as a national resource for the recreation and parks sector. LIN will continue to provide valued information, knowledge management, and related research services to clients, users, and patrons.
"This transition and reorganization of LIN will afford the opportunity for ARPA, with its upgraded technology infrastructure, to protect LIN as a significant national recreation and parks asset, but will also lead to more modern and effective knowledge transfer for practitioners and those in allied fields," says Dr. Tim Burton, ARPA President. "ARPA is well-positioned to pursue active engagement with other levels of government and other allied agencies and sectors on the build-out potential for LIN."
For more information on LIN, please visit www.lin.ca.
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 Shelley Shea chosen to be President of CPRA
Shelley Shea, Past-President of ARPA, has been chosen to lead the revitalized Canadian Parks and Recreation Association (CPRA). CPRA has recently reorganized to become a national alliance of provincial and territorial recreation and parks associations. Over the past two to three years, ARPA has played an instrumental leadership role in CPRA's renewal, and this will carry forward with Shelley's continued and active involvements.
Congratulations Shelley... you do us all proud with your passion and commitment to our field!
For more information on CPRA, please visit www.cpra.ca.
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| Call for volunteers for upcoming ARPA Casino fundraising event
ARPA will be hosting its next casino fundraising event on Thursday, August 5th and Friday, August 6th at the Casino Calgary. This is an important fundraiser for the Association, and we will require twenty-five (25) ARPA members to volunteer over these two days. There are a number of volunteer shifts and roles available.
If you are able to volunteer for this fundraiser, please contact Steve Allan at sallan@arpaonline.ca.
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 ACE Communities ARTS Tour kicks off in Grande Cache
The ACE ARTS Tour made its first stop in Grande Cache last month, and there was definitely plenty of dancing and singing taking place. The Tour, which included 2010 Juno-nominated singer John Wort Hannam, John Rutherford, and Cochrane dance instructors Michelle Greenwell and Emma Forman, resulted in visits, workshops, and performances in Grande Cache schools, senior centres, and their recreation centre, as well as in Susa Creek for the Aseniwuche Winewak Nation.
Visit the ACE Communities online Digital Galleryfor pictures from the event. Upcoming ACE ARTS Tours include Hanna (May 17-20), Frog Lake (May 26-29), and Longview (June 2-5).
For more information on the ARTS Tour, please contact Janet Naclia, Creative Cultural Liaison, at jnaclia@aceleaders.ca.
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| Recreation in Aboriginal communities
ARPA and the Indigenous Sport Council Alberta (ISCA) are working together to connect staff and volunteers from across Alberta who are delivering recreation and sports in Aboriginal communities. An initial leaders summit was held in Sylvan Lake last October, with a subsequent meeting held via teleconference last month. The March meeting summary and information regarding training and resources are available for download from the ACE Communities website.
The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 21 from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. The agenda and conference call dial-in phone numbers will be delivered prior to the call to all those who are currently on the ARPA aboriginal listserv.
If you would like to make additions to the meeting agenda, or receive more information on this initiative, please contact Janet Naclia, Creative Culture Liaison, at jnaclia@aceleaders.ca.
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 Alberta volunteers can count themselves in with Volunteers Count in April
Everyone knows Alberta's volunteers count... but how much? Find out by participating in Volunteers Count! Volunteer any time between April 18-24 (National Volunteer Week) and log your hours on the Volunteer Alberta website.
Count yourself in for the chance to win one of the following prizes:- 1st draw prize: $500.00 to a non-profit organization of your choice
- 2nd draw prize: $250.00 to a non-profit organization of your choice
- 3rd draw prize: Registration to Vitalize 2010 in Edmonton June 10-12
Participate at www.volunteeralberta.ab.caby completing the online form for yourself or on behalf of your organization's volunteers.
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 Registration open for the Physical Activity Forum
Does the Built Environment Influence Health? The Alberta Centre for Active Living will explore this question at their 4th Annual Physical Activity Forum. This year's Forum promises to be exceptional, with an engaging and energetic speaker, Dr. Tish Doyle-Baker of the University of Calgary.
Participants will be invited to join facilitated discussion groups after the presentation. Discussion will be facilitated using an Open Spaces Technology format, which is recognized as an effective method to promote participation and information sharing. This event will also be a great networking opportunity - be sure to bring your energy, ideas and business cards.
This year's Physical Activity Forum will take place in three locations throughout the province. Please visit the Edmonton, Calgary, or Lethbridgeforum registration pages for more information.
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REConnect is a monthly e-newsletter produced by the Alberta Recreation and Parks Association. For more information on this publication or ARPA, please contact Mandi Wise, Communications Coordinator, at mwise@arpaonline.ca.
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