The registration blitz for the Communities ChooseWell initiative wrapped up on March 31st, with an incredible 140 registrations submitted by communities ready to promote active living and healthy eating to their residents. Such strong representation from across the province demonstrates the commitment of communities to eat better and move more.

To officially kick off the 2011 program, Communities ChooseWell hosted a launch event on April 13th at the Leduc Recreation Centre. The launch featured keynote speaker Susan Roberts, Project Coordinator for Growing Food Security in Alberta.  During her keynote, Susan spoke to the importance of using a grassroots approach in community development and in promoting active living.

The event also featured remarks by Dr. André Corriveau, Alberta's Chief Medical Officer of Health; Terry Welsh, President of the Alberta Recreation and Parks Association; as well as Mayor Greg Krischke from the City of Leduc. Launch attendees also got a sneak peak at a new Communities ChooseWell promotional video, which will be available to registered communities as a tool to promote the program this year.

With the registration blitz and provincial launch now concluded, the ChooseWell team is busy sending out toolkits and preparing for the many exciting initiatives planned for 2011, which include Acts of Random of Physical Activity, ChooseWell Iron Chef, 21 Days to Healthy Eating, and the distribution of Teens and Tweens Seed Grants.

For more information about the 2011 Communties ChooseWell program, please contact the ChooseWell team at choosewell@araponline.ca or visit http://arpaonline.ca/choosewell.

Kay Kenny has been appointed as the new chair of the Alberta Sport, Recreation, Parks and Wildlife Foundation (ASRPWF) Board of Directors by the Honourable Cindy Ady, Minister of Tourism, Parks and Recreation. Kay is currently the Recreation Superintendent for the City of Red Deer, and has worked as both a professional and volunteer in recreation and sport for over 30 years.

In addition to her work in Red Deer, Kay has a long and outstanding history of volunteering with ARPA. In 2001 she was recruited to the ARPA Board and has served as Secretary, President Elect and President, as well as having participated on all of ARPA's major committees.

Kay was also a member of the 2005 Centennial Salutes Selection Committee, and was a three year contributor to the Alberta Sport Development Task Force. She has also held senior roles with Alberta Summer Games, Canada Winter Games, and Arctic Winter Games.

ARPA's Board of Directors extends heartfelt congratulations to Kay and looks forward to continuing to work with ASRPWF and ATPR in the advancement of recreation and parks services throughout Alberta.

For more information on ASRPWF, please visit www.asrpwf.ca.

On April 5th, the provincial government released the draft Lower Athabasca Integrated Regional Plan, which identifies and sets resource and environmental management outcomes for air, land, water, and biodiversity, and intends to guide all future resource and land-use decisions for the region.

Read the draft Lower Athabasca Integrated Regional Plan:

• Strategic Plan and Implementation Plan 
• Proposed Lower Athabasca Integrated Regional Plan Regulations 

ARPA strongly encourages its members (both within the region and outside) to provide comment on the draft regional plan and take part in the consultation sessions that will occur throughout the province. A workbook for providing feedback is available in an online format and as a printable PDF for the next two months.

The public input sessions begin April 18 in Bonnyville and continue in 14 more locations through May 19 (please view the complete session schedule for dates and locations).

For more information on the Lower Athabasca Integrated Regional Plan, please visit: www.landuse.alberta.ca/RegionalPlans/LowerAthabasca/Default.aspx

The CPRA National Exchange will take place May 11-13th in Richmond, British Columbia during the BCRPA's Annual Symposium. This Exchange is your opportunity to be a part of a national showcasing and networking event. Four National Strategy Discussions have been included within the Symposium schedule.  Your participation will ensure voices from all areas of the country are included in the dialogue.

National Strategy Discussion topics will include:

• The Core and Edges of Recreation  
• Partnering Recreation and Sport: Opportunities and Challenges  
• Children and Nature in Canada - Can We Stem The Growing Disconnect?
• Enhancing After School Programs for Children and Youth in Canada  

These discussions will inform the 2011 National Recreation Summit to be hosted by Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation and the Alberta Recreation and Parks Association in October 2011, and will also guide CPRA advocacy and action.

As an associate member of the CPRA, all ARPA members are entitled to a special registration rate. To register for this event, download the registration form for CPRA members (please check off the PT member rate to ensure you get the discount).

For more information on the CPRA National Exchange or the BCRPA Annual Symposium, please visit: www.bcrpa.bc.ca/symposium2011

It's that time of year again! Please join ARPA as we celebrate the many ways recreation and parks enhance quality of life in Alberta throughout the month of June.

ARPA is pleased to announce that the downloadable June is Recreation and Parks Month resources have been completely revamped for 2011, including:

• June is Recreation and Parks Month Getting Started Guide 
• 101 Active Things To Do in June 

This year, you can also pre-order children and youth activity passports to ensure you have them in time for your June celebrations and activities. You can pre-order activity passports using this form, and beginning in late May you'll also be able to download passports directly from the ARPA website.

As you gear up for June is Recreation and Parks Month, don't forget to send ARPA information about your community events throughout June so they can added to the official events calendar. The event info submission form is located below the June events calendar on the ARPA website.

For more information on June is Recreation and Parks Month, please visit:
http://arpaonline.ca/events/recreation-parks-month/

Are you looking for funds to help program Alberta Arts Days events and activities? In 2011, Alberta Culture and Community Spirit will select a number of Designated Celebration Sites, and up to five applicants will become Feature Celebration Sites (eligible to receive a maximum of $20,000).  Additional applicants will be selected as Host Celebration Sites, and will be eligible to receive a maximum of $5,000.

ACE Communities hosted a teleconference in March to discuss this funding opportunity with interested applicants throughout the province. As follow-up to that call Janet Naclia, ACE Communities Creative Cultural Liaison, has included additional information about this funding in a recent blog post.

The application deadline for the funding is April 20th, 2011.

For more information on this opportunity, please visit:
http://culture.alberta.ca/artsdays/rfs.aspx

ARPA is pleased to announce that Heather Wickstead is the new Chair of the Children and Youth Committee.

Heather is already a seasoned veteran on the Children and Youth Committee, having devoted her time as a committee member since its inception. She brings ample experience and enthusiasm to the committee's work in advocating equal opportunities in recreation and leisure for Alberta's children and youth. Heather's passion will undoubtedly continue to guide the committee in a positive direction.

For more information on ARPA's children and youth initiatives, please visit:
http://arpaonline.ca/program/kids/

In 2011, the Recreation for Life Foundation is proudly celebrating its 10th year anniversary. To commemorate the Foundation's first decade of success, we have launched the 10 for 10 Anniversary Campaign.

In supporting 10 for 10, your donation of a minimum of $10 per month throughout 2011 will go a long way toward sustaining the vital programs and initiatives overseen by ARPA.

Supporting the campaign is fast and easy using RFLF's Canada Helps page, and all donations made to 10 for 10 will be eligible a tax receipt.

For more information on 10 for 10, or to make a donation to the campaign, please visit: www.recreationforlife.org/10for10.html

Recreation and parks services add great value to the quality of life for all Albertans, and help create many healthy and thriving citizens and communities throughout the province. Let's not allow these contributors to go unnoticed!

ARPA's awards celebrate the innovative and successful endeavours of the many individuals, communities, agencies, and groups involved in the recreation and parks sector throughout Alberta.

Applications for this year's awards are now live on the ARPA website, with nominations open in the following categories:

Wildrose Award
ARPA Merit Award
A.V. Pettigrew Award
Parks Excellence Award
Excellence in Youth Development Award
AABRD Legacy Award

The deadline for submitting nomination forms is May 31st, 2011. 

For more information, please visit: http://arpaonline.ca/awards/

The Recreation for Life Foundation's 9th Annual Charity Golf Tournament is filling up fast! This year's tournament will take place June 13th, 2011 at the Derrick Golf and Winter Club.

The 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 (all inclusive), $25 for those who wish to only attend the lunch, or $55 to only attend the dinner.

Register online or download a PDF registration form today.

This year, we are very pleased to announce that PCL Construction Management Inc. has come on board as our 2011 Title Sponsor. The PCL family of companies has a century-long tradition of excellence, hard work and a can-do attitude. Their recreation facility construction projects throughout Alberta have demonstrated excellence in the development and construction of recreation spaces and places.

For more information or to view a list of tournament sponsorship opportunities, please visit www.golf.recreationforlife.org.

While the first installment in the 2011 spring series of Building Leadership Capacity workshops already took place in Lethbridge April 5-6th, a few spots are still available for the next two workshops:

May 11-12, 2011 - Cardel Place, Calgary, Alberta

Register: www.regonline.ca/buildingleadershipcapacitycoursecardelplacecalgary

May 24-25, 2011 - Grande Prairie, Alberta

Register: www.regonline.ca/buildingleadershipcapacitycoursegrandeprairie

Building Leadership Capacity is a professional development course offered by ARPA. This intensive two-day workshop employs the leadership framework of James Kouzes and Barry Posner, authors of "The Leadership Challenge." The course has been designed for recreation and parks practitioners in Alberta who are eager to develop the leadership skills necessary to inspire and activate others within their communities, as well as to advance professionally.

"As a financial member of our staff embedded into the business of Recreation, it was refreshing to attend a customized leadership course directly aimed to build and enhance skills for our current leaders," said past participant Kevin Good, Recreation Finance Specialist for the City Of Red Deer. "The course content was highly relevant and beneficial, and the passion and knowledge that instructors Doug Irwin and Doug Brimacombe have for recreation was felt throughout. I would recommend this course to anyone who wants to learn to become a stronger leader."

For more information, please contact Doug Brimacombe, Senior Liaison, Leadership & Professional Development at doug.brimacombe@ualberta.ca.

Register now for the Alberta Centre for Active Living's 2011 Physical Activity Forum, which will take place in Edmonton on May 10 and again in Calgary on May 12.

This year the Physical Activity Forum will offer a timely presentation by Dr. Phil Wilson titled Motivating Physical Activity Behaviour: How do we separate fact from fiction?

Key focus points in the presentation will include:

• Defining human motivation and distinguishing between various forms of motivation.
• Motivation as an important factor in promotion of physical activity.
• How to distinguish between "optimal" vs. "troublesome" motives for physical activity.
• Identifying key factors that permit motivation to flourish (or wither).
• Strategies to enhance or sustain motivation towards physical activity.

Following the presentation, Dr. Wilson and three Alberta practitioners will participate in a panel discussion.

For more information to register for the 2011 Physical Activity Forum, please visit the Alberta Centre for Active Living's website.

The Recreation and Parks Association of Nunavut (RPAN) recently formed to promote the growth and development of recreation and parks in Nunavut and increase public awareness and support for services.

The non-profit organization also aims to get residents more involved in physical activity, sport, and recreation activities. The Association plans to offer training to volunteers, coaches, and professionals in the field and increase communication between people involved in recreation and parks.

"We just feel that Nunavut is lacking in some areas of sports and recreation, of getting out there and getting active," said Victoria Hann, recreation program coordinator for the City of Iqaluit and the new association's president. She added Nunavut is the last Canadian jurisdiction to form such an association.

The territorial association will be affiliated with the Canadian Parks and Recreation Association, and also intends to provide input in national policy development with Sport Canada.

ARPA congratulates Nunavut for this accomplishment and looks forward to upcoming opportunities to connect with this new territorial association at the national level.

ACE Communities Learnings Report [PDF]

Culture Days 2011 Participation Guide [PDF]

Lieutenant Governor's Leadership for Active Community Awards
Date: May 26, 2011
URL: http://arpaonline.ca/lieutenant-governors-awards/

RFLF 9th Annual Charity Golf Tournament
Date: June 13, 2011
URL: www.golf.recreationforlife.org

ARPA Annual Conference & Energize Workshop
Date: October 27-29, 2011
URL: http://arpaonline.ca/events/arpa-annual-conference/