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| ARPA's e-Newsletter | December 2010
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Mark Your Calendar!
2011 Parks Forum
March 10-12, 2011
Radisson Hotel & Conference Centre Canmore, AB
Visit the ARPA website for more information!
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Building safe communities through recreation and parks
At the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association (AUMA) 2010 Annual Convention in November, ARPA's Past-President Dr. Tim Burton delivered a well-received presentation to delegates on the topic of crime prevention and community building through recreation and parks.
ARPA's research on how recreation and parks relate to safe communities has focused extensively on the development of an after school recreation strategy in Alberta. Most significantly, the recent ARPA publication entitled Stone Soup: A Recipe for an After School Recreation Strategy in Alberta suggests that a blended framework of recreation, health, learning, and local programming components will be the best approach to address the need for after school recreation programming during the "critical hours" (3:00 - 6:00 p.m., Monday - Friday).
Dr. Burton's presentation and accompanying paper emphasized the point that while an after school recreation strategy will have health and learning outcomes, it is anchored in recreation and the local community. It is about fostering healthier, happier and more resilient children and youth through safe and challenging community-based activities.
This and other recent ARPA research dovetails with a policy paper prepared by AUMA for their Annual Convention this year titled Healthy Alberta Communities. This policy paper cites two other recent ARPA publications, Healthy By Nature:Up Close and Personal and Public Funding of Recreation in Alberta, and discusses the role of municipalities in creating healthy communities through land-use planning and urban community design, recreation, parks, conservation, and active transportation.
ARPA is grateful to have had the opportunity to connect directly with AUMA's membership on these matters of joint interest, and looks forward to future opportunities for inter-agency collaboration emerging from the two parties' protocol agreement, originally established in 2007.
For more information AUMA and its initiatives, please visit the Association's website at www.auma.ca.
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 Communities ChooseWell gearing up for 2011
At the closing of the Action on Wellness Forum in Edmonton on December 3rd , the Honourable Gene Zwozdesky, Minister of Health and Wellness, announced a multi-year revival of the Communities ChooseWell initiative, with the 2011 campaign kicking off early in the new year.
Communities ChooseWell will continue to provide recognition for local success and enhance community leadership to promote citizens' health and quality of life. Registered communities will receive promotional toolkits, e-learning opportunities, and may apply for seed grants to reduce barriers to healthy eating for tweens and teens - the target population in 2011. Stay tuned for further details!
Preregister for ChooseWell today!
Interested communities are encouraged to preregister by filling out this form: arpaonline.ca/program/choosewell/registration/
As part of the Government of Alberta's Healthy U campaign, Communities ChooseWell is supported by Alberta Health and Wellness and managed by the Alberta Recreation and Parks Association.
For more information on this initiative, please read the official news release from Alberta Health and Wellness or visit ARPA's Communities ChooseWell page.
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Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation announces new Assistant Deputy Minister of Recreation Development
The Ministry of Tourism, Parks and Recreation has announced that Tim Moorhouse has been appointed as its new Assistant Deputy Minister, Recreation Development.
Tim spent 22 years with the City of Edmonton Parks and Recreation and Community Services Departments prior to moving to the provincial government. Tim came to the province as the Director of Family and Community Support Services Program. From April to November 1999, Tim was appointed as the Acting Assistant Deputy Minister as the Children's Services Ministry was formed.
Tim has an undergraduate degree in Education/Physical Education and a Masters of Arts in Sport and Recreation. He was a sessional instructor with the University of Alberta for four years and taught a graduating seminar for fourth year students in the Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation.
Tim has also been active in volunteer organizations throughout his career. He was awarded the Queen's Jubilee Medal in 2003 in recognition of his volunteer work.
For more information on Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation, please visit the Ministry's website at www.tpr.alberta.ca.
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Opportunity to participate in "Service Excellence Program"
The Alberta Recreation and Parks Association (ARPA) is committed to develop a framework and system for local community assessment that will help define, monitor, and recognize outstanding performance in recreation and parks development and delivery. To this end, the "Service Excellence Program (SEP) and the Recreation and Parks Organizational Development Framework" was launched by ARPA in October. The Service Excellence Advisory Team, the program's leadership group, now seeks to form five expert panels, one for each Module in the Service Excellence framework, which include Programs, Facilities, Parks, Community Building, and Leadership and Management. We invite those interested in participating as panel members to submit expressions of personal interest to contribute knowledge and critical thought toward the SEP and the Recreation and Parks Audit Tool and Framework. ARPA intends to recruit/confirm approximately 30 panel members per module (for a total of up to 150 experts) by January 15, 2011 who will review and critique the SEP and Framework over the coming weeks. Please contact ARPA for a detailed breakdown of the roles and responsibilities of these panel positions. Want to participate?If you are interested in serving as a panel member for this seven-week period of surveys (plus input to an overall evaluation of SEP in October 2011), then please send an email with all your contact information to ARPA at lsimmonds@arpaonline.ca. Please contact Greg Scott, Chair of the Service Excellence Advisory Team, by email at greg.scott@reddeer.ca if you have any questions or comments on this initiative.
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Have you seen the new arpaonline.ca?
ARPA's newly redesigned website is now live! In addition to completely refreshing the look and feel of the Association's website, work was undertaken to update and enhance the content on the site, and to make it more user-friendly and easier to navigate.
A few key features of the new website include:
Check out the new arpaonline.ca today!
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 Become a HIGH FIVEŽ Trainer
ARPA will host a "Becoming a HIGH FIVEŽ Trainer" workshop in Edmonton, February 2-4, 2011. The HIGH FIVEŽ standard is committed to supporting the healthy development of children in recreation and sport. Download the training information package and application form for further details on this workshop. Completed application forms must be returned by Friday, January 7, 2011. Still need to take the prerequisite courses for becoming a HIGH FIVEŽ trainer? ARPA will also offer: Principles of Healthy Child DevelopmentQUEST 2- February 1, 2011 (Edmonton, AB)
To register, contact Joline Veitch at 780-638-2915 or jveitch@arpaonline.ca
For more information, contact please Joline Veitch, ARPA Children & Youth Program Coordinator, at 780-638-2915 or jveitch@arpaonline.ca, or visit arpaonline.ca/program/highfive/.
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 Updates from the Canadian Parks and Recreation Association
The Canadian Parks and Recreation Association (CPRA) is healthy and well. Since the submission of the final report from the Partnership Agreement Renewal Task Group (PARTG) two years ago, the continual engagement and efforts of all of the Provincial/Territorial (PT) Partners has successfully forged a new national alliance. The PT Partners are united in their commitment to the renewed CPRA, both as our national organization and the advocacy voice for recreation and parks in Canada. CPRA now has reserve funds in place, which will allow the national organization to move forward confidently. A major accomplishment was the completion of a Strategic Plan and CPRA is moving forward in implementing the directions established in the plan. CPRA is governed by four permanent committees which are beginning work on key result areas established in the Strategic Plan:
- Finance and Operations
- Strategic Development and Advocacy
- Professional Development and Education
- A Coordinating Council which is comprised of the chairs of the permanent committees and the CPRA President
At present time, CPRA is actively involved in the planning of a National Recreation Summit, which will take place in Alberta just prior to ARPA's 2011 Annual Conference in Lake Louise. Alberta's Ministry of Tourism, Parks and Recreation and ARPA have taken the lead on this critical and timely national initiative. There are still challenges for CPRA and much work remains, but we can be confident that our national voice is alive and well. Much credit is due to all of the national partners and ARPA can take pride in our leadership, support, and involvement in the reconstituted CPRA.
For more information on CPRA, please visit their website at www.cpra.ca.
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 Registration now open for the Recreation for Life Foundation 9th Annual Charity Golf Tournament
The snow may be flying outside, but it's never too early to start planning your next golf season! Registration is now live for the Recreation for Life Foundation's 9th Annual Charity Golf Tournament, which is scheduled to take place Monday, June 13th, 2011 at the Derrick Golf and Winter Club in Edmonton. Secure your spot in this highly anticipated tournament by: Registering online - or - Downloading a printable registration formThe Texas Scramble-style tournament will kick-off at 11:00 a.m. for brunch and registration, followed by a shotgun start 1:00 p.m., and dinner at 7:00 p.m. The registration fee is $275 per golfer, $25 to only attend the lunch, or $55 to only attend the dinner.  The Foundation is also very pleased to announce that PCL Construction Management Inc. has signed on as the tournament's title sponsor this year, and we anticipate yet another successful, sold-out event. For more information, please see the golf tournament brochure, view the list of sponsorship opportunities, or visit the tournament's website at www.golf.recreationforlife.org.
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 Stay updated on Communities in Bloom year-round
Alberta's provincial edition of Communities in Bloom has just launched a new newsletter called Blooms and Bits.The inaugural issue profiles the results of the 2010 Provincial Awards and introduces the program's Provincial Presenting Partner, the Encana Corporation. Communities in Bloom Alberta plans to produce and distribute Blooms and Bits every fall, winter and spring.
Download the Fall 2010 issue of Blooms and Bits here.
For more information on Communities in Bloom, please visit ARPA's Communities in Bloom page or contact Dan Chambers, Provincial Coordinator, at cib@arpaonline.ca.
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Missed Foundations for Action bulletin email series? Catch up on the ARPA website...
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 How will your community take part in the International Year of Youth?
Did you know that the International Year of Youth (IYY) was officially kicked off in August 2010 by the United Nations? IYY will continue until August 2011 and is designed to promote peace, freedom, and solidarity toward the promotion of youth development and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. Through IYY the UN hopes to: - Create awareness (increase commitment and investment in youth)
- Mobilize and engage (increase youth participation and partnerships)
- Connect and build bridges (increase intercultural understanding among youth)
To support this initiative, the Canadian Parks and Recreation Association has designated the May 1-7, 2011 as National Youth Week - an excellent time to promote IYY by planning a related event for youth in your community. Please visit the IYY website to find a brochure with more information, as well as a link to post your youth events supporting IYY this year.
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Grant opportunity for community greening programs
Evergreen is now accepting applications for the Walmart-Evergreen Green Grants Program supporting community environmental stewardship and restoration projects across Canada. The application deadline is January 31, 2011. Walmart-Evergreen Green Grants, a community greening program sponsored by Walmart and led by Evergreen, provide funds of up to $10,000 to community groups working on restoration and stewardship of local ecosystems. This grant also supports community development initiatives such as community organic food garden projects. For more information on eligibility requirements and to download an application, visit the Green Grants page on the Evergreen website.
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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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