Last Update: 2010-03-25 Print page E-mail to friend Feedback

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In this issue...

President's Message

• A new decade and an enhanced association Read more
  

PRO in Action

• PRO Forum Highlights Read more
  
• Updating the PRO By-Laws Read more
  
• PRO AGM News Read more
  

Issues and Advocacy

• PRO Provincial Pre-Budget Submission Read more
  
• AMO Supports Affordable Access to Recreation Framework Read more

News Briefs

• 2010 PRO Award Winners Read more
  
• NeORA Conference Call for Presenters Read more
  
• Healthy Communities Fund Launch Read more

Events and Training

• 2010 Parks and Recreation Educational Forum April 6-9, 2010
  
• Fundraising & Sponsorship Workshop March 11, 2010
  
• Community Development Workshop April 13, 2010
  For a complete list of Events and Training, click here
  
  

Our Partners

• Pan-Canadian online survey: "Community Perspective" on Children/Youth and their connection with Nature Read more
  

Quote of the Month

• John Furlong Read more
  

President's Message

2010 has been a great year so far for recreation and for PRO. Certainly, the Winter Olympics in Vancouver were inspirational and will hopefully encourage Ontarians to adopt a more active and healthy lifestyle!  In Ontario, we are looking forward to our own Games  - the 2015 Pan Am Games. PRO has already initiated a dialogue with leaders of the Pan Am Games so that we can work collaboratively to ensure that communities across the province benefit from the legacies of these games and that the games reflect the importance and benefit of community recreation.

I hope that you have had time to review the new PRO web site. A little over a year ago, PRO began to renovate both its web site and member database in order to better serve the needs of the sector and you, our members. While there are still parts of the system that are "in development," we should be fully activated this spring.  In the meantime, if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact the PRO office for assistance at pro@prontario.org. We are looking forward to having online registration and membership renewal, as well as a new look and feel to our member communications. We will also be launching Communities of Practice, or CoPs, virtual hubs of knowledge where PRO members can share knowledge, resources and news in different areas of interest. The first CoPs will be in Aquatics and Affordable Access to Recreation. You will be able to sign up for these communities very soon.

There have been changes behind the scenes too. The PRO Board of Directors has undertaken an extensive governance review, again to better reflect current trends in the sector and in non-profit association management. We will be introducing changes to the PRO By-Laws (last updated nine years ago) at the PRO AGM in Niagara Falls on April 8, 2010 at 4:30 pm. An explanation of the changes is given below in the PRO in Action section of this e-bulletin. If you have any questions regarding the By-Law changes, please feel free to contact me or any of the board members.  Our contact information can be found on the PRO web site.

Finally, I want to draw your attention to the announcement of the PRO Award winners. Recognizing excellence in our filed has been an important part of my work as President of the PRO Board over the past year. I congratulate all of the winners and look forward to seeing them, and you, at the 2010 Parks and Recreation Educational Forum & National Exchange.

Your comments and suggestions are always welcome.

Don May
e-mail: tothepresident@prontario.org

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PRO in Action

PRO Forum Highlights
The 2010 Parks and Recreation Educational Forum & National Exchange is designed with you in mind! It is the place to gain essential knowledge, tools and connections for building healthy and vibrant communities! The Forum is taking place once again in beautiful Niagara Falls, this year at the Sheraton on the Falls Hotel and Conference Centre, from April 6-9.

At this year's Forum,  you can learn, play and network in a beautiful green spring setting of Niagara Falls!  In addition to technical sessions, look for a variety of other trends, ideas, and innovations in workshops on:

• trails and environmental stewardship
• marketing and management
• innovative programs for children, youth and older adults
  
• affordable access to services
  
• health, recreation and community partnerships
  
• strengthening neighbourhoods and building better communities.

New! National Exchange
New this year, PRO and our provincial and territorial recreation partners have added a National Exchange to this event including National Strategy Sessions where topics of national interest will be discussed, a luncheon to showcase what is happening from coast to coast, and a national networking dinner where you can meet others from across the country and expand your network even further!

As an added bonus there is an even larger trade show on the first two days where you can see and be seen as you test out new products, learn about new services, and work to bring the best equipment and knowledge to your community.

We're also pleased to have three inspiring key note speakers:
J.P. Pawliw-Fry will speak at the conference opening about leadership and performance.
On Thursday, Jennifer Hedger, Host of TSN's SportsCentre and just returned from the 2010 Winter Games, will share her inspirational moments from the games.
On Friday, Adwoa Buahene, Managing Partner and Co-Founder of n-gen People Performance Inc. will give an address titled "Four Generations - Four Approaches to Work."

You won't want to miss any of the events! If you haven't reviewed the brochure,  be sure to download your copy today at:
www.prontario.org/index.php/ci_id/5975.htm.

Updating the PRO By-Laws
As a non-profit association, PRO is governed by official by-laws that regulate the business and management of the association. PRO last updated its By-Law No. 1 in 2001. Since then, there have been changes in association management practices and in the recreation sector. The PRO Board undertook a governance review that led to a resolution to update the by-laws to better reflect the organization and to better serve the needs of members.

To help PRO members understand the changes to By-Law No. 1, PRO has created a chart of all of the proposed changes. You can download the chart at:
www.prontario.org/index.php?ci_id=6086

You may also want to download the existing By-Law No. 1 at:
www.prontario.org/index.php?ci_id=3643

Finally, a copy of the resolution to amend By-Law No. 1 is available at:
www.prontario.org/index.php?ci_id=6087

There will be opportunities for PRO members to ask questions about the proposed amendments to the PRO By-Law No. 1 on a teleconference in advance of the AGM and at the Forum.  In addition, questions can be directed to Larry Ketcheson, PRO CEO (lketcheson@prontario.org) or Aaron Burry, PRO Past President (aaron.burry@ottawa.ca).

PRO AGM News
The 2010 Parks and Recreation Ontario AGM will take place on April 8, 2010 at 4:30 pm at the Sheraton on the Falls Hotel and Conference Centre.The AGM is a chance for members of PRO and other interested stakeholders to hear about the activities and achievements of PRO over the past year. As noted above, resolutions will also be presented to the PRO membership, including the By-Law amendments and the slate of Directors for the PRO Board.   In addition, PRO members in good standing can submit resolutions for consideration by the membership at the 2010 AGM.  Examples of past resolutions include supporting affordable access to recreation research and advocacy, endorsing a provincial infrastructure strategy, and supporting the Charter for Parks and Recreation. To view recent PRO resolutions, please visit: www.prontario.org/index.php?ci_id=3352.

Resolutions will be accepted at the Parks and Recreation Ontario offices until 5 pm on March 31, 2010.  Resolutions will also be accepted in person at the Parks and Recreation Educational Forum until 5 pm on April 7, 2010 (at the registration desk). To download a resolution form please visit: www.prontario.org/index.php?ci_id=6085

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Issues and Advocacy

PRO Provincial Pre-Budget Submission
In November 2010, PRO President Don May made a presentation to the Minister of Finance outlining PRO's position regarding the 2010 Provincial Budget.  The Minister had asked stakeholders to consider the  following questions:

• What processes should the government put in place to enable it to move out of deficit?
  
• What steps should the government take to streamline and provide better public services to Ontarians?
  
• Government priorities are job creation, health care, education, strong fiscal management and economic growth. How should the government balance this multitude of priorities? Given the considerable fiscal challenges, what should be the core priorities of the 2010 Budget?

In the 2 minute oral presentation, PRO asked the government to consider engage stakeholders in a process to streamline the delivery of health promotion.  

PRO also submitted recommendations to the Minister of Finance in writing. PRO expanded on this idea and asked the government to consider other recommendations including:

• Dedicated funding for sport and recreation infrastructure (new build and renovation)
• Aligning health and tax policy by providing an HST exemption for sport and recreation programs and facility rentals
• Increased funding for health promotion (leading up to the 2015 Pan Am Games)
• Streamlining efforts in health promotion by engaging stakeholders recreation and public health in the Healthy Communities Initiative.

Click here to read the entire submission.

AMO Supports Affordable Access to Recreation Framework
For the past four years, Parks and Recreation Ontario has made affordable access to recreation one of its key policy issues. As secretariat for the Ontario Task Group on Affordable Access to Recreation, PRO has played a significant role in raising awareness about the importance of affordable access to recreation. You can read about the Task Group and it's accomplishments on the PRO web site at:
www.prontario.org/index.php?ci_id=3354.

The Task Group has produced several important documents, including a Promising Practices Guide and a Research Report, as well as conducting surveys on the current state of affordable access initiatives in Ontario. Building on this research, the Ontario Task Group developed a policy framework and approach to creating local access policies that reflect both community need and capacity. The framework is available for download at:
www.prontario.org/index.php/ci_id/3681.htm.

The Task Group is seeking support for this framework with organizations and in December 2009, received the support of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO). The AMO Board supported the recommendations in the framework and is seeking commitment from the provincial and federal governments to move this important policy issue ahead. The Task Group sent out copies of the framework to all municipalities along with the AMO Alert and asked councils to also endorse the framework.  To date, a number of municipalities have already passed resolutions supporting the Framework and its recommendations.  The full text of the AMO Alert is available on their web site at:
www.amo.on.ca/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Aerts_and_FYIs&Template=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=156130

PRO and the Task Group will continue to advocate for local, provincial and federal support for affordable access to recreation.

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News Briefs

PRO Award Winners
Each year, through its Awards Program, Parks and Recreation Ontario recognizes and honours the achievements of both its members and those in the parks and recreation community. These highly-coveted awards express PRO’s admiration of and gratitude to individuals and organizations that have contributed to the advancement of leisure, parks and recreation in Ontario.

The 2010 PRO Award recipients, listed below, will be honoured at the Gala Awards Banquet on April 7 in Niagara Falls, part of the 2010 Parks and Recreation Educational Forum & National Exchange.  

Congratulations to all the winners!

2010 PRO Award Recipients

Member Recognition Certificates

NeOra Conference Call for Presenters

The Northeastern Ontario Recreation Association (NeORA), in partnership with The City of Elliot Lake, is seeking to recruit specialists and knowledgeable individuals from the Parks, Recreation, Heritage, Arts and Culture, Healthy Active Living and Festival / Events industry, to speak on a variety of profession-specific topics for the 2010 NeORA Educational Forum, September 21-24, 2010. This annual event attracts approximately 150 delegates comprised of recreation practitioners, community volunteers, event planners, students and individuals with an interest in healthy and active living. Delegates, primarily  from Northeastern Ontario, will include representatives from Municipalities, First Nations, Community Volunteer Groups or Organizations, Non-profits, Government agencies, and the private sector.

The deadline for submissions is March 26, 2010.  To download a copy of the submission form and to learn more about the NeORA forum, please visit: www.prontario.org/index.php?ci_id=6084.

Healthy Communities Fund Launch
The Healthy Communities Fund (HCF) is a funding program of the Ontario Government's Ministry of Health Promotion. The HCF is now accepting application for local/regional projects and provincial projects that address health promotion through: physical activity, sport and recreation; healthy eating; tobacco use and exposure; injury prevention; substance & alcohol misuse; and mental health. 

Collaboration is a vital component of this program, and applicants are required to work in partnership and to take an integrated approach to improving health and wellness at the community level.  Interested provincial and local community-based organizations can apply for funding to develop and deliver health promotion initiatives in partnership with other organizations through two streams:

Local/Regional Grant Stream - Deadline April 23, 2010 at 12:00 noon
Provincial Grant Stream - Statement of Interest Deadline March 26, 2010 at 12pm noon

For more information on the Healthy Communities Fund, visit the MHP web site at:
www.mhp.gov.on.ca/english/healthy_communities/local.asp

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Events and Training

March 2010
Affordable Access Action Plan  Workshops
Port Hope (March 17) and Ottawa (March 24)
Are you interested in improving access to recreation in your community? Parks and Recreation Ontario is pleased to present the Affordable Access Action Plan Workshop with Sue Peterson on March 17 in Port Hope and March 24th in Ottawa.

In this workshop you will go through a facilitated process to assist your municipality or not-for-profit group in developing an action plan which will pave the way to affordable access. Learn the key questions that need to be considered as you create the framework for your Affordable Access Policy, and hear about potential roadblocks to policy development and how you can effectively address them.

This workshop is based on the research of the Ontario Task Group on Affordable Access to Recreation and the Affordable Access to Recreation Policy Framework.
For a more detailed description of the workshops and to download the registration form please visit:
Port Hope - www.prontario.org/index.php?ci_id=6049
Ottawa  - www.prontario.org/index.php?ci_id=6050

March 11, 2010
Fundraising and Sponsorship Workshops
Toronto, Ontario
Parks and Recreation Ontario, in collaboration with Campaign Coaches, is pleased to offer two workshops on Fundraising, Sponsorship and Writing Proposals on Thursday, March 11th in Toronto. Sponsorship and fundraising are methods to secure much needed financial support. This workshop will cover the pros and cons of both methods and will help you decide which approach is best for your campaign. You’ll also learn how to write winning proposals that will help secure the funding you need. These workshops will benefit directors, supervisors, volunteers, and staff from parks and recreation departments, sports, cultural groups, community agencies and other service providers. These workshops have been designed to allow you to attend either of the half-day session or both sessions for the full day (lunch included). For a more detailed description of the workshops and to download the registration form please visit:
www.prontario.org/index.php?ci_id=6045.

March 17 & 24, 2010
Affordable Access Workshops
Port Hope and Ottawa, ON

Are you interested in improving access to recreation in your community? Parks and Recreation Ontario is pleased to present the Affordable Access Action Plan Workshop with Sue Peterson on March 17th in Port Hope and March 24th in Ottawa.

In this workshop you will go through a facilitated process to assist your municipality or not-for-profit group in developing an action plan which will pave the way to affordable access. Learn the key questions that need to be considered as you create the framework for your Affordable Access Policy, and hear about potential roadblocks to policy development and how you can effectively address them.This workshop is based on the research of the Ontario Task Group on Affordable Access to Recreation and the Affordable Access to Recreation Policy Framework.

For a more detailed description of the workshop and to download the registration form please follow this links:
Port Hope - www.prontario.org/index.php?ci_id=6049

Ottawa - www.prontario.org/index.php?cd_id=6050

April 6-9, 2010
2010 Parks and Recreation Educational Forum and National Exchange
Niagara Falls, Ontario
Ontario's premier educational event for those interested in building strong and healthy communities! New this year, PRO and our provincial and territorial recreation partners have added a National Exchange to this event including National Strategy Sessions where topics of national interest will be discussed, a luncheon to showcase what is happening from coast to coast, and a national networking dinner where you can meet others from across the country and expand your network even further!
As an added bonus there is an even larger trade show on the first two days where you can see and be seen as you test out new products, learn about new services, and work to bring the best equipment and knowledge to your community.
To download your copy of the brochure, visit: www.prontario.org/index.php/ci_id/5975.htm
There are also sponsorship opportunities still available for the Forum. To download a copy of the sponsorship prospectus, please visit:
www.prontario.org/index.php/ci_id/5916.htm.

April 13 & 14, 2010
Community Development Workshop with Jim Diers
Toronto and Ottawa, ON
Learn how to build effective community-agency partnerships in a full-day workshop on Asset-Based Community Development in Action, being held in Toronto on Tuesday, April 13th from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm (lunch included).

Jim Diers, Professor at the University of Washington and Faculty Member at the Asset-Based Community Development Institute in Michigan, will facilitate this session. Jim was formerly with the City of Seattle, Washington, where he was appointed by the Mayor to head up a new division, "The Department of Neighbourhoods." Jim will share his passion for getting people engaged in their communities as he shows you how to map under-utilized resources in your community and provide you with the practical tools to mobilize those resources to address community needs. Registration Deadline: April 7th. To learn more about the workshop or to download a registration form, please visit:
Toronto: www.prontario.org/index.php?ci_id=6057
Ottawa: www.prontario.org/index.php?cd_id=6104

April 15, 2010
Ramping up for Compliance and SWARG AGM
Essex Sport Complex
Are you in compliance for the new Accessibility for Ontarian with Disabilities Act (AODA)?

Join us on Thursday April 15, 2010 at the brand new Essex Sports Complex in Essex, Ontario for an important workshop designed to assist you and your organization with information on the AODA. This one-day workshop is essential for any individual or group wanting to stay current.  Also on the agenda, the South West Area Recreation Guild 2010 AGM. For more information, please visit:
www.prontario.org/index.php?ci_id=6109

April 20, 2010
Creating Smart Parks with Doug Wyseman
Ottawa, Ontario
As parks and recreation departments continue to wrestle with the challenges of shrinking budgets, it is important to understand the impact these changes may have on the risks facing park users.To meet these challenges, the Smart Parks program has been developed to assist parks and recreation departments in implementing strategies to improve park safety while, at the same time, decreasing costs to the department. Parks and Recreation Ontario is pleased to offer the Creating Smart Parks workshop with Doug Wyseman on April 20th in Ottawa. All participants will be provided a unique training experience, certificate of completion, and a Smart Parks manual.

For a more detailed description of the workshop and to download the registration form please follow this link:
www.prontario.org/index.php?ci_id=6082

April 20, 2010
Smart Parks Workshop
Ottawa, Ontario

Join risk management expert Doug Wyseman for an informative workshop on creating smart parks on April 20 in Ottawa.
As parks and recreation departments continue to wrestle with the challenges of shrinking budgets, it is important to understand the impact these changes may have on the risks facing park users. To meet these challenges, the Smart Parks program has been developed to assist parks and recreation departments in implementing strategies to improve park safety while, at the same time, decreasing costs to the department. All participants will be provided a unique training experience, certificate of completion, and a Smart Parks manual. Click here to download a registration form today. 

April 21-23, 2010
Sport Events Congress
Doubletree by Hilton - Toronto Airport in Toronto, Ontario

Canada’s largest annual gathering of sport, tourism professionals and event management firms, Sport Events Congress attracts approximately 300 delegates each year. Sport Events Congress’ flagship element is the popular Sport Events Exchange, a business-to-business events marketplace where events rights holders have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with municipal representatives interested in hosting events in their communities. For more information, visit: www.canadiansporttourism.com

May 5-8, 2010
3rd International Congress on Physical Activity and Public Health
Mobilizing Research for Global Action in Policy and Practice
Toronto, Ontario
The goal of the 3rd International Congress on Physical Activity and Public Health is to provide a scientific forum in which delegates from around the world can come together to discuss and debate the latest scientific evidence supporting the contribution of regular physical activity to public health.  Visit the conference web site at www.cflri.ca/icpaph/en/ for more information.

June 3, 2010
On the move in the community! Active Transportation Conference
Montreal, Quebec
Canada’s first active transportation rendezvous will be held in Montreal, June 3, during the Montreal Bike Fest! Vélo Québec invites transportation specialists as well as engaged citizens to share their experiences in working towards the development of cities and neighbourhoods on a human scale.It will be an exceptional occasion to bring together pioneers and developers working in the burgeoning field of active transportation. Urban planning professionals, public health and education practitioners, municipal and community representatives, as well as academics and consultants will be on hand. For more information, please visit:
www.velo.qc.ca/onthemoveconference/Home.

September 21-24, 2010
Northeastern Ontario Recreation Association Conference
City of Elliot Lake, Ontario
For more information on the conference, or to submit an application to present, please visit: www.prontario.org/index.php?ci_id=6084.

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Our Partners

Pan-Canadian online survey: "Community Perspective" on Children/Youth and their connection with Nature
The Alberta Recreation and Parks Association (ARPA) has launched an online survey to  seek input on strategic matters pertaining to children and youth and their perceived lack of engagement/connection with nature (the out-of-doors). This work has been made possible through a grant received from Mountain Equipment Co-op.  The survey should take between 20-30 minutes to fully complete. The survey does not have to be completed in one session as you can click in the top right corner of the survey to save your progress (an e-mail will be sent to you with a link to continue). We will be making a draw for five $100 gift certificates from Mountain Equipment Co-Op (MEC) from the individuals who complete the survey.

The findings from this survey will be presented at a session at the Parks and Recreation Educational Forum and National Exchange in Niagara Falls in April. The findings will also be posted on the Lifestyle Information Network (www.lin.ca) following this event.

PRO encourages all members and stakeholders to complete the survey as this is an emerging national issue with resonance for parks and recreation practitioners. The survey will only be open until Friday March 12.  Please pass on the link to others who would be interested in participating.

Click on the following links to participate:

English Version: http://www.surveygizmo.com/s/239694/l8e6t

French Version: http://www.surveygizmo.com/s/244588/myctt

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Quote of the Month

"It's for all of us wherever we are in this country - however we connect to sport and recreation - to do our part to make it possible for every single child to say 'I had a chance to play.'"

~John Furlong, CEO Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games

© 2010 Parks and Recreation Ontario
1 Concorde Gate, Suite 302
Toronto, ON M3C 3N6
t. 416-426-7142 f. 416-426-7371
e. pro@prontario.org
www.prontario.org