The ARPA Conference brochure and registration site are now live, with a printed copy of the brochure arriving in member mailboxes any day now.

This year's Conference, themed Recreation and Parks... Bringing Quality to Life, will take place October 27-29th at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. With two keynotes, four preconference sessions, and almost 50 breakouts including an activity session block, this year's Conference is set to once again deliver top-notch professional development and networking opportunities for recreation and parks practitioners.

Download the Conference Brochure for further details on this year's program.

Online Registration - The Conference registration system will allow you to easily register yourself, a group of people, as well as your guests. Once logged in you can print receipts and invoices, adjust any registration information, and make payments using the secure payment site.

The registration system may be accessed directly at:
www.regonline.ca/2011arpaconferenceandenergizeworkshop

*The early bird registration rate will be available until September 30th*

Accommodations at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise - The room block at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise is filling up fast so book early to guarantee your room reservation. Call the hotel directly at 403-522-3511 or toll-free at 1-800-441-1414. Be sure to mention that you are with the ARPA Conference.

You can also access the Fairmont's online reservation system by visiting the Conference Registration page and scrolling down to "Online Room Booking."

ARPA's 60th Anniversary Celebrations - In 2011, we're proudly celebrating ARPA's 60th Anniversary. During the Conference, a number of connections to ARPA's history and celebrations of this anniversary event will be integrated throughout.

We look forward to seeing you in Lake Louise this fall!

For more information on the ARPA Conference and Energize Workshop, please visit: http://arpaonline.ca/events/arpa-annual-conference

On August 8-9th in Grande Prairie and August 10-11th in Red Deer ARPA hosted a one-day Kids at Hope Forum plus half-day Module I - Hopeology session in each community.

Speakers at the forums presented their experiences and the impact of the Kids at Hope philosophy in their communities. The forums also included breakout sessions that provided participants an opportunity to discuss challenges, successes, and future directions for Kids at Hope within their own communities.

ARPA was pleased to welcome Rick Miller, Founder, President, and Chief Treasure Hunter of Kids at Hope, back to Alberta to facilitate these sessions. Rick has been inspiring, empowering, and transforming communities and organizations since 1993 in an effort to reverse the stigma and stereotype exhibited in the phrase "youth at risk."

For more information on Kids at Hope in Alberta, please visit http://arpaonline.ca/program/kidsathope.

Calling all movers and shakers in the recreation and parks sector!

After 10+ years of dedicated service, ARPA's CEO Rick Curtis is transitioning to retirement. As a result, ARPA is searching for a motivated leader to guide our Association on its mission to improve the quality of life of all Albertans through the advancement of recreation and parks services.

For more information on this position, please see the full opportunity profile: http://s3.arpaonline.ca/docs/ARPA-CEO-Opp-Profile-2011.pdf

All interested applicants must apply no later than August 19th, 2011.

From July 27-28th, ARPA's Children and Youth Committee was involved in a two-day strategic planning session. The purpose of the planning sessions was to examine the current status of HIGH FIVE® and Kids at Hope across Alberta.

A draft business case and strategy were presented to the committee providing a detailed account of each program overview, participant analysis, market analysis, and financial review.

The committee discussed a number of initiatives that could potentially strengthen the management and administration of each program during the two-day session. ARPA, together with the volunteers on the Children and Youth Committee, is well-positioned to move both initiatives forward in the months to come, positively impacting the sustainability of each.

If you have questions about HIGH FIVE®, Kids at Hope, or would like more information about the strategic planning sessions, please contact Lisa Tink, Children and Youth Programs Manager, at ltink@arpaonline.ca.

Six candidates have thrown their hats into the ring for Alberta's 2011 Progressive Conservative Leadership Vote on September 17th, including Doug Griffiths, Doug Horner, Gary Mar, Ted Morton, Rick Orman, and Alison Redford. To date, three candidates have shared their policies related to recreation, parks, and improving the quality of life and health of Alberta's citizens:

Gary Mar has proposed an increase in health spending on prevention and health promotion, including the creation of a Wellness Innovation Fund, which  would not just be the domain of the Alberta Health Service, but of any department of government (read more).

Rick Orman has proposed reversing the province's recent decision to move all lottery revenues into the General Revenue Fund. Orman would restore the Lottery Fund to its original purpose, which included funding for recreation and community enhancement projects. Rick will also support increasing the portion of lottery funds allocated to community enhancement projects and arts and culture by $100 million next April.

Orman also supports the development of a long-term arts and culture and community spirit development strategy. This strategy would be developed in partnership with local and regional government officials and stakeholders (read more).

Alison Redford wants to encourage Alberta families to be more active, athletic, and happy by proposing a $1,500 Family Recreation Tax Credit to support participation in organized sports and recreational activities like summer camps (read more).

For more information on the 2011 PC Leadership Vote, please visit the PC Association of Alberta's website, or view a list of upcoming important dates [pdf] or FAQs [pdf] related to the leadership campaign.

With alumni weekend just around the corner, the University of Alberta's Physical Education and Recreation Alumni Association (PERAA) invites faculty alumni to register for the following upcoming events:

Alumni Recognition Awards - Celebrating Excellence
Date: Thursday, September 22nd  
Time: Ceremony 7:00-8:30 p.m. (reception to follow)   
Location: Winspear Centre, Edmonton

Annual General Meeting
Date: Friday, September 23rd
Time: 6:00-7:00 p.m.
Location: Saville Sports Centre; U of A South Campus

Pub Night with the Dean
Date: Friday, September 23rd
Time: 7:00 p.m. to midnight
Location: Balmoral Lounge, Saville Sports Centre; U of A South Campus

Breakfast with the Dean
*For members of the 25, 40 & 50-year classes*
Date: Saturday, September 24th 
Time: 8:30-10:30 a.m.
Location: Royal Mayfair Golf Club, Edmonton

RSVP for any Alumni Weekend events online at:
http://www.alumni.ualberta.ca/en/Celebrate/AlumniWeekend.aspx

PERAA is a volunteer-driven association committed to keeping alumni in touch with each other and informed of news and developments in the faculty.

For more information, contact Sandra Pysklywyc, PERAA President, at peraa@ualberta.net.

Active Canada 20/20, A Physical Activity Strategy and Change Agenda for Canada is the response to an urgent national need to increase physical activity and reduce sedentary living.

This initiative is now looking for broad online stakeholder consultation through a survey.  The survey will be open from July 25-August 26, 2011. Several in-person consultations are planned at stakeholder conferences this fall.  

Take the survey: www.surveymonkey.com/s/ActiveCanada_2020

A follow-up survey with an updated Active Canada 20/20 strategy will be circulated in early 2012 to solicit organizations' and Canadians' support, engagement, and endorsement prior to a presentation of Active Canada 20/20 to Federal/Provincial/Territorial Ministers of Sport, Physical Activity and Recreation (SPAR), Health and Education in April 2012.

For more information on this initiative, please visit www.activecanada2020.ca.

Students at the University of Alberta will have a new opportunity to boost their knowledge with the launching of a dynamic new certificate program in Aboriginal sport and recreation.

This certificate, unique in Canada, was jointly developed by the faculties of native studies and physical education and recreation, and is embedded within a student's degree program. It is designed to afford them a value-added boost to their degrees and deepen their knowledge of the emerging field of Aboriginal peoples' health and wellness through sport and recreation.

The certificate is open to all students at the University of Alberta, provided they can dovetail it with their program and their particular degree permits them to enrol in it. It will be available for enrollment in fall 2011.

Read the official news release from the U of A for more information.

Sports Day in Canada, taking place on Saturday, September 17th, is a national celebration of sport, from grassroots to high-performance levels, in communities across the country. It's an opportunity for all Canadians to celebrate the power of sport to build community, fortify our national spirit, and facilitate healthy, active living.
 
You can get involved by hosting your own local celebration event anytime during the week leading up to, and including, September 17th. Create something new, or throw open your doors to a competition, activity, or event your organization is already doing, and invite others to join you.

If you're interested in celebrating sport, getting active, or attending a local Sports Day in Canada celebration event in your own community, please visit www.cbcsports.ca/sportsday.

Sports Day in Canada is presented by CBC Sports, ParticipACTION, and True Sport and is guided by a committee of national sporting organizations and their networks of coaches, athletes, and enthusiasts across the country.

Creative Strategies for Engaging with Youth (webinar)
Date: Tuesday, August 30th
Time: 10:00-11:30 a.m.
Host: Janet Naclia with Guest Presenter Michelle Greenwell
URL: http://recc.arpahub.ca/

Resources for Recreation and Parks Academics (webinar)
Date: Thursday, September 1st
Time: 10:00-11:30 a.m.  
Host: Brenda Herchmer
URL: http://recc.arpahub.ca/

Free Your Body, Mind and Spirit for an Energetic Shift to Your Day! (webinar)
Date: Thursday, September 8th
Time: 10:00-11:30 a.m.
Host: Michelle Greenwell
URL: http://recc.arpahub.ca/

National Recreation Summit
Date: October 23-26th, 2011
Location: The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise
*Invitation Only*

ARPA Annual Conference & Energize Workshop
Date: October 27-29th, 2011
Location: The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise
URL: http://arpaonline.ca/events/arpa-annual-conference