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| ARPA's e-Newsletter | May 2010
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Mark Your Calendar!
Celebrate "June is Recreation & Parks Month" in your community!
Visit the JRPM website for more info. |
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| Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation announces Active Alberta Policy
A draft of Active Alberta: A Recreation, Active Living and Sport Policy has now been released for public consultation. An electronic version of the draft policy is available for download here.
On May 20th, Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation released the above noted policy report for general public and stakeholder consultation through an online survey. The consultation process is expected to last through July 16th with the expectation that a final policy report will be reviewed and endorsed by the Ministry later in Fall 2010.
The policy survey may be accessed at this URL:
www.surveymonkey.com/s/ActiveAlberta
ARPA will be undertaking a formal process within the Association to review and provide comments, as well as potentially integrate its review and related advocacy with other allied stakeholders and agencies. The ARPA Board of Directors would encourage all members to be active and engaged in reviewing the draft policy.
Stay tuned to REConnect and the ARPA listserv for more information as it emerges.
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 ARPA President presents at AUMA "Building Communities" Committee
Tim Burton, ARPA President, along with Glenn Jensen, ARPA Board Member, and Rick Curtis, ARPA Executive Director, met with AUMA officials on May 12th. ARPA and AUMA signed a protocol agreement in 2007 which established a formal relationship between the two parties with the intent of improving information exchange and formulating joint initiatives and endeavours.
At the May meeting, ARPA representatives focused a presentation and discussion around a number of timely topics, as noted below.
AUMA's Urban and Countryside Parks Resolution (2009) - ARPA tabled a draft report entitled Healthy by Nature: Up Close and Personal - Investing in Community Parks, Open Space and Nature Education. This report provides an evidence-based rationale and background that would support AUMA's resolution.
ARPA also tabled the 2009 report entitled Public Funding of Recreation Alberta - Historical and Current Pattern Analysis (1988-2008). This report shows how municipal governments' share of total recreation expenditures in the province outpaces that of the other senior levels of government by a wide margin. Discussion also focused on ARPA's AGM resolution pertaining to a review of Alberta's Lottery Fund and its revenue disbursements.
ARPA tabled another report at the meeting entitled The Role of Recreation, Parks, and Open Space (RPOS) in Regional Planning: A Working Guidelines Report. This report provides municipalities and non-government organizations with proposed RPOS outcomes, objectives, and strategies that could be considered in the development of the seven regional (watershed-based) plans stemming from the Alberta Land Stewardship Act.
The critical hours of afterschool (3:00 to 6:00 p.m.) were also a major topic of discussion. In this regard, ARPA tabled the report entitled Afterschool Recreation Initiatives: Executive Summary 2009.
ARPA also identified other items that were on ARPA's radar screen including, amongst others:- Active Alberta Policy
- 2011 National Recreation Summit
- HIGH FIVE® (quality assurance standards for children's sport and recreation)
Stemming from the meeting's discussions, there was a renewed sense of importance for the protocol agreement, and a desire to examine potential joint planning and advocacy initiatives in some of these areas.
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 2010 ARPA Conference & Energize Workshop sneak peak
Planning has kicked into high gear for the 2010 ARPA Conference and Energize Workshop, scheduled to take place October 21-23 at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, and the Conference Committee would like to offer ARPA members an early snapshot of what's already in store.
This year's conference theme is Renaissance 2010: Endless Possibilities. The opening keynote will be delivered by Jim Carroll, who is recognized as one of the world's leading international futurists, and trends and innovation experts. The plenary keynote will be delivered by Bruce Kirby who will show you how to ditch the excuses, plan bravely, move carefully, use fear as a compass, and embrace the unknown.
Other conference sessions will focus on:- Community Building
- Sponsorships and Partnerships
- Risk Prevention and Management
- Tips for Healthy Communications
- Regional Land-Use Planning - Tools for Communities
- Experiential Learning Sessions including outdoor activities
Social program highlights include a Renaissance Fair, a Tradeshow and Tailgate Party, and a 007-style Casino Cavell.
Visit www.2010.arpaonline.ca for additional program and accommodation reservation details. A full program brochure and online registration site should be available by early July.
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 Sobeys signed on as tournament title sponsor once again
Planning is now well underway for the province's recreation and park sector's most-anticipated golf event of the year! As the Recreation for Life Foundation (RFLF) busily prepares for the Sobeys IGA Recreation for Life Charity Golf Tournament, the Foundation would like to take this opportunity to thank Sobeys West for their continued commitment as the tournament's Title Sponsor and major supporter once again this year.
Sobeys' commitment to promote healthy lifestyles, proper nutrition and fitness through active physical exercise and the nourishment of the body and mind compliments the vision of the Recreation for Life Foundation. Sobeys corporate, IGA corporate, franchise operators, and their employees give back to their communities financially and volunteer their time to support and promote healthy lifestyles and an active way of life for all Albertans.
RFLF is also pleased to announce that this year's golf tournament is sold out, but there are still limited sponsorship opportunities available. To inquire about tournament sponsorship, please contact Kathleen Badry, Fund Development Manager, at kbadry@recreationforlife.org.
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 "June is Recreation and Parks Month" is just around the corner!
Join ARPA as we celebrate the many ways recreation and parks enhance quality of life in Alberta. June is a perfect time to get kids outdoors and engaged the natural world as it blooms and grows around them. It is particularly timely this year as awareness about the importance of connecting children and youth with nature grows. There are many ways to participate this year...
Children & Youth Activity Passports
To help communities get children and youth active in nature this June, ARPA has created two activity passports with fun ideas to get outside, engage with the natural environment, and be active. Complete the activities and submit your passport online to win nature-themed prizes! The activities may be completed with friends, at a day camp, or individually.
Download the children nature passport or youth passport to get started!
Sign the Charter
Sign the June is Recreation and Parks Month Charter to declare yourself a champion for Recreation and Parks Month in your family, workplace and community. All the champions will be entered into the 2nd Annual Bobblehead Awards.
Sign the charter here.
Plan an event and post it to the official JRPM Calendar
Tell us what events are happening in your community in June. Post your events on the online calendar and you will receive an 'Event Goodie Kit' full of fun items to distribute at your event.
View the calendar and submit your June event here.
The June is Recreation and Parks Month tool kit is a great resource providing information to help plan and execute your events throughout the month of June. Download the toolkit here.
For more information on June is Recreation and Parks Month, please visit www.june.arpaonline.ca or contact Joline Veitch, Special Projects Assistant, at 780-638-2915 or jveitch@arpaonline.ca.
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| ARPA continues to spread the word about afterschool recreation research findings
In April, ARPA was represented by Heather Wicksted of the City of Calgary (and member of ARPA's Children and Youth Committee) to speak at the Parks and Recreation Ontario Conference regarding the critical afterschool hours of 3:00 - 6:00 p.m., as well as the findings of ARPA's Afterschool Recreation Initiatives report.
Additionally, at a Federal/Provincial/Territorial Government workshop on May 4th in Toronto, Heather Cowie, Chair of ARPA's Children & Youth Committee, co-presented with project consultant Graham Clyne on ARPA's work in the area of developing an Alberta Afterschool Recreation Strategy. ARPA's follow-up report, entitled Stone Soup: The Recipe for an Afterschool Recreation Strategy in Alberta, will be submitted shortly to Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation.
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 ACE Communities ARTS Tour hits the road again
Mark your calendars! The next installments of the ACE Alberta Rural Talent Showcase (ARTS) Tour will be taking place throughout May and June across Alberta:
Hanna: May 17-20
Frog Lake: May 26-29
Longview: June 2-5
The ARTS Tour is an opportunity for smaller rural communities to come together to celebrate and grow local talent, and is driven by the belief that fostering arts, culture, and heritage will make all communities better places to live, work, and play. The ART Tour is not just another program - it's a hands-on opportunity supported by long-term strategies that are meant to inspire community members to be active, creative, and engaged.
The ARTS Tour is brought to you by ACE Communities (an initiative of ARPA), in cooperation with the Arts Touring Alliance of Alberta.
For more information on this initiative, please contact Janet Naclia, ACE Communities Creative Cultural Liaison, at jnaclia@aceleaders.ca.
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| FITS outreach coming to a community near you this summer
With the support of the STEP program, ARPA has hired a summer student to conduct outreach in community recreation facilities across Alberta gathering information for the Facility Inventory Tracker System (FITS). FITS is an online database developed to collect a diverse range of information on a variety of indoor and outdoor community recreation facilities.
For more information on FITS, or to participate in community outreach, please contact Denise Gariépy at dgariépy@arpaonline.ca or 780-644-1779.
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 Secure HIGH FIVE® training for your summer recreation and sport program staff
Planning training for summer staff? Then now would be a great time to book HIGH FIVE® training for them too! HIGH FIVE® is Canada's only comprehensive quality standard for organizations providing recreation and sport programs to children aged 6 to 12. HIGH FIVE® ensures that program and day camp leaders are trained in the best practices for children's play, focusing on the principles of healthy child development.
To learn more about HIGH FIVE®, view existing local training opportunities, or request training, please visit www.highfive.arpaonline.ca or contact Denise Gariépy at dgariépy@arpaonline.ca or 780-644-1779.
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| ACE Communities making recreation connections in Aboriginal communities
ACE Communities would like to thank all who were able to join in last month for the Aboriginal Recreation Meeting hosted by ARPA and the Indigenous Sport Council of Alberta (ISCA). As you will see from the conference call meeting summary, valuable information and resources relevant to those delivering Aboriginal recreation and sports programming were shared amongst the participants.
Please note the next conference call meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 25th at 10 a.m. More information to follow approximately one week before the call.
For more information on this initiative, please contact Janet Naclia, ACE Communities Creative Cultural Liaison, at jnaclia@aceleaders.ca.
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 Energize Workshop & Recreation Volunteer Awards
Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation and the Alberta Sport, Recreation, Parks and Wildlife Foundation (ASRPWF) will be joining forces with ARPA to bring Alberta's recreation and parks community Energize 2010. The Energize Workshop will be held in conjunction with the ARPA Annual Conference from October 21-23, 2010 at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, and provides a forum for everyone from local community volunteers to elected officials to exchange ideas and knowledge related to recreation development and its contribution to building healthy communities.
The Recreation Volunteer Recognition Awards are presented at the Energize Workshop to four Albertans who have, through their involvement and dedication, advanced the development of recreation in Alberta. The Awards are sponsored by Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation and the ASRPWF. The selections are made by the volunteer Energize Advisory Committee from the nominations that are received.
Nomination forms have now been distributed directly to all communities, and are also available on the ASRPWF web site www.asrpwf.ca. The nomination deadline is June 25th, 2010.
To submit a nomination, or for more information, please visit www.asrpwf.ca or contact Chris Szabo, Recreation Consultant, Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation, at chris.szabo@gov.ab.ca.
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| ARPA receives grant for physical literacy initiative from ASRPWF
ARPA is pleased to announce that the Association has received a grant from the Alberta Sport, Recreation, Parks and Wildlife Foundation to continue developing an initiative that will begin building physically literate communities across Alberta.
Physical literacy is defined as the development of fundamental movement skills and fundamental sport skills that permit a child to move confidently and with control, in a wide range of physical activities, rhythmic and sport situations. Physical literacy also includes the ability to "read" what is going on around them in an activity setting and react appropriately to those events.
For more information, please contact Rob Meckling, Chair of ARPA's Community Sport Development Task Group, at rob.meckling@reddeer.ca. |
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Upcoming ARPA Events
ACE Community Building Workshop
Date: May 26, 2010
Location: Youngstown
Community Building Webcast
Date: May 28, 2010
Time: 10:00 a.m. (MST)
URL: http://acecommunities.ca/community-builder/
ACE Community Building Workshop
Date: June 2, 2010
Location: Canmore, AB
Registration Contact: Brenda Caston (bcaston@canmore.ca)
ACE Community Building Workshop
Date: June 3, 2010
Location: Crowsnest Pass, AB
Registration Contact: Carrie Morency (carrie@communityfuturecnp.ca)
Sobeys Recreation for Life Charity Golf Tournament
Date: June 14, 2010
Location: The Derrick Golf and Winter Club
URL: www.golf.recreationforlife.org
2010 ARPA Conference & Energize Workshop
Date: October 21-23
Location: The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge
URL: www.2010.arpaonline.ca
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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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