2018 ARPA Conference, Annual General Meeting and Energize Workshop
Partners in Progress
The following online survey will act as the tool for submission of presentations to the Organizing Committee for the 2018 ARPA Conference and Energize Workshop.
Conference Overview:
The 2018 Alberta Recreation and Parks Association (ARPA) Conference, Annual General Meeting and Energize Workshop from October 25-27, 2018 at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge. This educational event will attract over 500 delegates from across Alberta.
2018 Conference Theme: Partners in Progress
This year’s Conference theme is Partners in Progress. It is evident that we can no longer work and plan inside of a bubble. Funders, governments and organization all encourage and seek out collaborative partnerships to tackle today’s complex issues. Many times, our role in recreation and parks focuses on building relationships and creating positive partnerships.
2018 Conference and Energize Workshop, Partners in Progress, is a call to action that invites leaders, practitioners, stakeholders, and partners in a variety of sectors to collaborate in the pursuit of common priorities, while respecting the uniqueness of individuals and communities.
Recreation and parks relies on and nurtures partnerships and collaboration among:
- Public, not-for-profit and private providers of recreation and parks experiences
- Public and private planners and developers (urban and rural)
- All orders and levels of government (local, regional, provincial/territorial, federal and Aboriginal communities)
- Multiple sectors and disciplines that influence wellbeing and share common goals (e.g. health, tourism, education, arts and culture, nature conservation, etc.)
- People who care about and influence the wellbeing of individuals, families, communities and our natural and built environments (e.g. parents and other family members, elected officials, recreation staff, early childhood educators, caregivers, teachers, school boards, coaches and volunteer leaders in community programs.
Furthermore, partners in recreation include those in sport, physical activity, health, urban planning, indigenous communities, infrastructure development, rural development, natural resources and conservation, arts and culture, social development, tourism, justice, heritage, child development and active aging.
We invite you to continue the progress of alignment and developing partnerships with other sectors and stakeholders who share the mandate of the Framework for Recreation in Canada, to enhance wellbeing among individuals, communities and our built and natural environments.
Indigenous Perspective on Partners in Progress
When speaking of Canada's role in reconciliation with our Indigenous communities, Dr. Wilton Littlechild, TRC Commissioner, often points to the need for reconcile-ACTION. It is the investment in meaningful actions that will pave the way forward for our province and, by working together with our partners, we can ensure these actions create a positive legacy for all Albertans. In order to advance the process of Canadian reconciliation, ARPA will feature a stream of sessions that look at how we can redress the challenges of the past and, through recreation, explore opportunities to work collaboratively with our Indigenous communities.
Sub-themes/ suggested topics:
- Community and inter-sectoral collaborations to tackle issues of shared interests
- Community partnership grants for capital projects
- Knowledge development through community based research on inter/intra-sectoral collaboration initiatives
- Collaboration with other pan-Canadian initiatives in areas where visions overlap, strategies converge and resources can be shared.
- Framework for Recreation in Canada 2015: Pathways to Wellbeing
- Parks for All
- The Canadian Sport Policy 2012
- Active Canada 20/20
- Connecting Canadians with Nature
- IndigenACTION
- Progress towards wellbeing amongst current and emerging challenges to recreation through,
- Demographic Changes
- Challenges to Health
- Economic Inequalities
- Social Challenges
- New & Emerging Technology
- Infrastructure Deficit
- Threats to the Natural Environment
- Evidence of the benefit of recreation and parks that address existing challenges with policies and practices.
- Community progress towards providing experiences that result from the freely chosen participation in physical, social, intellectual, creative and spiritual pursuits that enhance individual and community wellbeing.