Physical Health & Education (PHE) Canada, the Canadian Parks and Recreation Association (CPRA), and the Alberta Recreation and Parks Association have recently partnered with a number of other organizations in support of the Active Healthy Living After School Pan Canadian Framework.

The Canadian Active After School Partnership (CAASP) is developing this pan Canadian framework to support the delivery of quality after school programs that involve increased access and opportunities to engage in physical activity and healthy living practices across Canada. This national project aims to provide information surrounding best practices, highlight supportive policies, examine barrier reduction strategies, and develop evaluation tools resulting in an engaged and motivated after school delivery network. 

ARPA, in collaboration with CPRA, has supported the development and implementation of five Active Living After School pilot sites across Canada. Knowledge gained from these pilot sites will provide valuable information about how to run after school programs based on the blended framework outlined in the ARPA publication titled Stone Soup: A Recipe for an After School Recreation Strategy in Alberta.

In addition to information gained from the pilot sites, a review of the current policies and guidelines will inform development of a practical resource tool. This tool will be used to support the development of community partnerships and enhance the ability of local groups to develop, deliver, and evaluate high quality after school programs.

Recommendations for an effective longer term human resource strategy to support and sustain high quality recreation based after school programs will also be moderated by ARPA within the Active Healthy Living After-School Pan Canadian Framework.

For more information, please read the related news release on the PHE Canada website.

In late April, Darren Aldous, President of the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association (AUMA) forwarded a letter of support to Hon. Cindy Ady, Minister of Tourism, Parks and Recreation, in support and endorsement of the recent ARPA publication Healthy by Nature: Up Close and Personal - Investing in Community Parks, Open Space and Nature Education.

In the letter, AUMA echoed ARPA's recommendation for the need to establish an Urban and Countryside Parks program in Alberta in order to support the development of healthy communities and citizens throughout the province. AUMA also adopted a Healthy Alberta Communities policy paper at its 2010 Convention.

ARPA extends it gratitude to AUMA for its support, and looks forward to further opportunities to connect with AUMA in the future.

To view a copy of the letter, please visit:
http://s3.arpaonline.ca/docs/AUMA-support-letter-Healthy-by-Nature.pdf

To download a copy of Healthy by Nature, please visit:
http://s3.arpaonline.ca/docs/Healthy-by-Nature.pdf

Earlier this spring, ARPA submitted a letter to Hon. Hector Goudreau, Minister of Municipal Affairs, with an attachment of the Association's comments on the Ministry's report titled Building on Strength: A Proposal for Municipal Sustainability for Alberta.

In response, Minister Goudreau indicated that ARPA's input, including the recommendations to add culture to the basic services list and expand the definition of recreation to include social components, would be taken into consideration by Alberta Municipal Affairs.

To view copies of the letters, or for more information on ARPA's research related to municipal sustainability planning, please visit: http://arpaonline.ca/research/

On May 31st, ARPA and its Community Sport Development Task Group will host Collaborative Planning & Action for Community Sport & Recreation Development - A Provincial Dialogue at the Leduc Recreation Centre in Leduc, AB.

This Provincial Dialogue intends to explore the many ways that communities can foster and leverage recreation and sport partnerships toward positive local engagement. The itinerary for the day will be a blended format of presentations, shared success stories, and focused small group discussions.

Download a detailed breakdown of the Provincial Dialogue's format

There is no charge to participate in this Provincial Dialogue, but all those interested in attending must register no later than May 26th at:

http://arpaonline.ca/events/provincial-dialogues/

For more information please contact Rob Meckling, Chair of ARPA's Community Sport Development Task Group, at rob.meckling@reddeer.ca.

June is Recreation and Parks Month annually recognizes and celebrates the many ways recreation and parks enhance the quality of life for all Albertans. This year's theme is Active Living in the Outdoors, which promotes the numerous and varied benefits of being active in Alberta's beautiful natural environments.

It's easy to participate...

ARPA is pleased to announce that the downloadable June is Recreation and Parks Month resources have been completely revamped for 2011. You can download the Getting Started Guide for help planning and executing your June community events, and check out 101 Active Things To Do in June for quick, easy-to-implement ideas to get active in the great outdoors this summer.

Keep us in the loop and promote your June events for free

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 the events can be added to the official JRPM events calendar.

The event info submission form is located below the June events calendar on the ARPA website. You can also head over to the JRPM Resources page and download free web banners and buttons to promote your June activities on your website.

The children and youth activity passports are back!

To encourage children and youth in your community to be more active, you can order printed copies of two different activity passports, each full of fun ideas to get outside, engage with the natural environment, and get moving.

PDF versions of the passports are already available for download on the ARPA website:

Child Activity Passport (6-12 years)
Youth Activity Passport (13-19 years)

To order printed copies of the passports, please complete the request form at the bottom of the JRPM Resources page.

June can and should be a celebration of people, nature, and life. ARPA strongly encourages you, no matter the role you have in your community, to take leadership in celebrating the benefits that recreation and parks provide... and in getting outdoors.

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

In tandem with ARPA's June is Recreation and Parks Month celebrations, on June 15th the Child and Nature Alliance of Canada and its members, collaborators, and fans are encouraging all Canadians to get outside and play for Nature Play Day Canada.

Nature Play Day is a Canada-wide initiative that encourages communities, schools, businesses, and families across the country to participate in outdoor activities. To participate, register your Nature Play Day Canada event online now and pledge to participate in an outdoor activity on June 15th.

Your activity can be as simple as a picnic in a local park or as extravagent as a community festival. Registered events will be entered to win prizes, and online resources are available to offer ideas and inspiration to get you started.

You can also help spread the word about Nature Play Day to your friends and colleagues by visiting www.facebook.com/childnaturecanada.

For more information, inspiration, and to register your event, please visit: www.natureplayday.ca.

Communities ChooseWell has opened up a seed funding opportunity to its registered communities to support programs that reduce barriers to healthy eating and active living for teens & tweens - the 2011 ChooseWell target audience. 

These funds will be made available to ChooseWell communities for the initiation or expansion of initiatives impacting teens and tweens, or for programs that encourage leadership from youth populations. Through the process of identifying and overcoming barriers to healthy living for teens and tweens, a community may establish a greater sense of inter-agency collaboration and an atmosphere of inclusion.

Ten (10) grants worth $2,000 will be made available through this seed funding opportunity. Interested ChooseWell communities may apply online at http://arponline.ca/choosewell.

The application deadline is May 27th, 2011.

For more information, please contact the ChooseWell Team at choosewell@arpaonline.ca.

Looking for opportunities to grow as a community leader? Take advantage of one of the following free ACE Communities webinars this month:

Arts Smarts in Small Communities
Date: Tuesday, May 17th
Time: 1:15 - 2:30 p.m.
Presenter: Janet Naclia and Panel

Educational Alternatives in Rural Alberta
Date: Thursday, May 19th
Time: 9:30 - 11:00 a.m.
Presenter: Carol Ohler

Effective Ideas and Activities for Team-building
Date: Wednesday, May 25th
Time: 9:30 - 11:00 a.m.
Presenter: Barb Pedersen

All are welcome to register for any of these free webinars. Please email Montana Snell at msnell@aceleaders.ca to confirm your intent to participate, and more information will forwarded to you.

For more information on ACE Communities, visit http://acecommunities.ca.

Are you a recreation practitioner working in an Aboriginal community and looking to connect with others experiencing similar challenges and successes? If so, please join ACE Communities' next toll-free conference call to discuss recreation, sports, and arts and culture in Albertan Aboriginal communities, which will take place on Tuesday, May 17th at 10 a.m.

ACE Communities hosts these bi-monthy teleconferences with the goal of forming a community of practice for recreation practitioners working in Aboriginal communities.

Please contact Janet Naclia, ACE Communities Creative Cultural Liaison, at jnaclia@aceleaders.ca if you are interested in participating in the next call.

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.

Public input sessions have taken place throughout the province over the last month, with the last two taking place in Edmonton on May 17th and Calgary on May 19th (view the complete consultation schedule for further details in the remaining sessions).

If you were unable to attend any of the consultation sessions, you may still provide your input on the draft regional plan by completing and submitting the online Workbook or mailing in the printable PDF version by 4:30 p.m. (MST) on June 6th.

ARPA strongly encourages its members (both within the region and outside) to provide comment on the draft regional plan.

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

The provincial government has also opened up the opportunity for the public to provide feedback on the South Saskatchewan Regional Advisory Council's advice to the government on the regional plan for southern Alberta.

Online and PDF versions of South Saskatchewan workbook may be viewed at: www.landuse.alberta.ca/RegionalPlans/SouthSaskatchewan/Default.aspx

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. Let's not allow these contributors to go unnoticed!

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

Applications for this year's awards are available 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

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.

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

Arts Smarts in Small Communities (Webinar)
Date: Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Time: 1:15 - 2:30 p.m.
Registration Contact: Montana Snell (email msnell@aceleaders.ca)

Educational Alternatives in Rural Alberta (Webinar)
Date: Thursday, May 19, 2011
Time: 9:30 - 11:00 a.m.
Registration Contact: Montana Snell (email msnell@aceleaders.ca)

Effective Ideas & Activities for Team-building (Webinar)
Date: Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Time: 9:30 - 11:00 a.m.
Registration Contact: Montana Snell (email msnell@aceleaders.ca)

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

ARPA Board of Directors Meeting
Date: May 27-28th
Location: Edmonton

Collaborative Planning & Action for Community Sport & Recreation Development - A Provincial Dialogue
Date: Tuesday, May 31st, 2011
Time: 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Location: Leduc Recreation Centre, 4330 Black Gold Drive, Leduc, AB
URL: http://arpaonline.ca/events/provincial-dialogues/

RFLF 9th Annual Charity Golf Tournament
Date: June 13, 2011
Location: Derrick Golf & Winter Club, Edmonton, AB
URL: www.golf.recreationforlife.org

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