Abby is a Sport and Recreation Management student at the University of Waterloo and a valued staff member of Waterloo Athletics. Abby has positively contributed to Waterloo Athletics through facility operations, customer relations, event logistics, and student leadership. Abby was an integral member of the organizing committee for the USPORT Women’s National Hockey Championship hosted in Elmira this past March. 

As well, Abby has been a Living Learning Community Leader, supporting first-year recreation and leisure students transition to Waterloo and university life. Abby has a passion for improving others' quality of life through recreation, sport, and leisure.

Sparrow joined the Town of Aurora in April 2024. In two short years Sparrow has pursued several ambitious projects, including establishing Aurora's Youth Environmental Committee, expanding Youth Week events, leading digital infrastructure enhancements, becoming a HIGH FIVE® National Trainer, and more. 

In summer 2025, Sparrow was re-allocated to the Camps Division covering a maternity leave. In this new role he has excelled at managing a growing and changing team, creating unity and promoting an environment of learning. Sparrow is regarded by his colleagues for his adaptability, willingness to lend a hand, and always putting his team first. 

The Smart Parks initiative introduced a modern, resident-focused approach to service delivery by transforming how park users report issues and connect with municipal staff. Traditionally, residents were required to contact a centralized call centre to report concerns. This process involved long wait times, limited location accuracy, and delays in dispatching service requests to operations staff. 

To address these challenges, the Smart Parks program implemented strategically placed "Smart Park" signs with QR codes throughout parks and open spaces, allowing residents to instantly report issues directly from their mobile devices while on-site. By simply scanning a code, users are guided through an easy-to-use digital reporting platform that automatically captures the park location and routes requests to the appropriate operational team in real time. 

In the heart of southeast Burlington's growing community, the new Skyway Community Centre and Park connects people to green spaces, removes physical and social barriers, and meets the evolving needs of residents across generations. Shaped by extensive engagement including workshops, surveys, and validation checks, this project directly reflects what the community said mattered most: accessibility, inclusivity, sustainability, and a space that fosters connection.

Key amenities include: an NHL-size rink with 300 seats, accessible dressing and referee rooms, inclusive gender-neutral and barrier-free washrooms, 275' fenced baseball diamond, outdoor playground featuring natural wood-based play elements, multi-purpose community rooms, a 140m three-lane indoor track, expanded parking lot featuring EV charging stations and bioswales for sustainable stormwater management, and public art 'Ephemeral Reverie' - a striking concrete installation symbolizing the strength of the community, set in contrast to the environmental fragility it portrays through abstract iceberg forms. 

Skyway is more than a municipal recreation and park - it's a realized vision of what's possible when citizen-inspired design shapes a community. 

Bryn is a recent graduate of Recreation and Leisure Studies with a minor in Tourism from Brock University. Bryn has displayed a strong work ethic and passion for the sector, completing an undergraduate thesis where he used the Canadian Parks, Recreation and Sport Infrastructure Database to study proximity to  a multi-use recreation facility in a community and its correlation to residents' health indicators. 

In addition to excelling in the classroom, Bryn has contributed to the sector through employment and volunteer engagement. Bryn has obtained several HIGH FIVE® certifications, was selected as a PRO Ambassador, volunteered at the 2025 PRO Expedition Conference and Tradeshow, and founded Brock University's Outdoors Club. 

With over 30 years in parks and recreation, Denise has made a lasting impact on the sector playing an instrumental role in improving the health and well-being of countless Ontarians.

Denise's leadership is grounded in community development, viewing  parks and recreation not simply as programs or facilities, but as powerful platforms for belonging, connection, and well-being. Denise has championed numerous initiatives that strengthen community connection and engagement in the City of Burlington. As an advocate for aquatics, she demonstrated exceptional skill in balancing the needs of competitive athletes, learn-to-swim participants, therapeutic users, and the general public to ensure equitable access to aquatic spaces. 

Beyond her professional role, Denise volunteers and advocates for sport and recreation in her personal time, further reinforcing her commitment to the sector and to community wellbeing. Her legacy is reflected not only in programs and spaces, but in a culture of care, collaboration, and community voice. 

Sho’aríshon Park represents a comprehensive approach by the Town of Lincoln to advancing inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility through infrastructure, advocacy, and ongoing programming.

The project – a Neutral Nation Legacy Site - was co-created alongside Elders, artists, language specialists, historians, Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, the Niagara Regional Native Centre, Plenty Canada, and Two Row Architect. Connected to the site of Lincoln’s Museum by a one-kilometre trail, the park creates an experience where visitors engage with the natural landscape and thousands of years of human history. Key features include an interpretive longhouse structure, storytelling signage, a native species rain garden, and public art. The park also includes dedicated space for ceremony and sacred fires. 

By combining permanent infrastructure with ongoing programming and community use, Sho’aríshon Park provides continuous and evolving access to Indigenous histories, cultures, and land-based learning.