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SAS K ATCH E WA N PA R KS A N D R ECR E AT I O N AS S O C I AT I O N

Community AchievementCelebrating Excellence in Parks and Recreation

SPRA STAFF

MANAGEMENT

Chief Executive Officer Norm Campbell

Program Manager John Firnesz

Field Services Manager Randy Durovick

Communications, Information and Research Manager Luella Newman

RECREATION CONSULTANTS

Information and Research Services Chantel Doerksen

Communications Lori Ross Christian Bates-Hardy

Human Resources and Funding Lee Anne Balliett

Parks and Open Spaces Andrew Exelby

Physical Activity and Fitness Wendy McKellar

Aboriginal Support Tim Haywahe Leadership and Evaluation Karen Thompson

Recreation Facilities Kelly Skotnitsky

Youth Engagement Tanya Murphy

Assistant Consultant Kelsie Graham

ADMINISTRATION

Business Administrator Myrna Borth

Business Administrator Anita Ehman

Executive Assistant Lois McNaught

Administrative Technician Ryan Monks Administrative Assistant II Natalie McAmmond

Administrative Assistant I Kayla Schreiner Donna Matheson

Fitness/Administrative Assistant II Lynn Bradley

Regina Office: Phone: (306) 780-9231 or 1-800-563-2555

FIELD CONSULTANTS/ADMINISTRATION

Swift Current Jaclyn Davis/Christine Rousseaux Phone: (306) 778-1091

Rosetown/North Battleford Kerry Bailey/Janae Dawson Phone: (306) 882-6601

Prince Albert Rob Boulding/Shari Morash Phone: (306) 953-0052

Weyburn Sean Hanlon Phone: (306) 848-0274

Yorkton Darren Spelay/Tracy Malayney Phone: (306) 782-1072

Humboldt Clint McConnell/ Lynne Morelli Phone: (306) 682-5265

La Ronge Kathleen Cornthwaite Phone: (306) 425-1910

December 2014 | VOLUME 5 | NUMBER 4

TABLE OF CONTENTS

President’s Report 01 Simply the Best! 02 The Warman Legends Centre - From Vision to Reality 03Leading the Way to Fitness 04Recreation Across the Seasons 05Making a Difference in Ghana 06Volunteer Recognition 07 Underwater Explorers - A SPRA Grant Success Story 08Dalmeny Likes to Move it, Move it! 08 Swift Current United Way Play Program Wins National Award 09A Community in Bloom 10 The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award - Youth Recognition 11 Training for the After School Time Period 12Spotlight On 12Grants and Funding 13Events 13Commercial Ads 14

DIRECTION is published four times a year (December, March, June and September). The publication is provided to members of the Saskatchewan Parks and Recreation Association. Direct all communications to:

Editor, DIRECTION #100 - 1445 Park Street Regina, Saskatchewan S4N 4C5

You may also send letters or comments to Lori Ross, Communications Consultant, at 306.780.9370, by fax at 306.780.9257, or by email at lross@spra.sk.ca.

Articles within this magazine are the opinions of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the policies or opinions of SPRA. Articles in DIRECTION may be reprinted, provided that full credits are shown for the author and the magazine.

SPRA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

President Mike Powell

Director for Cities Jasmine Jackman

Director for Towns Guylaine Green

Director for Villages Clive Craig

Director at Large Marvin Sanderson Director at Large Mimi Lodoen

Director at Large Dawna Nielson

Director at Large Coralie Bueckert

Director for the North TJ Biemans

in motion STAFF

Manager Cathie Kryzanowski

Manager of Community and Target Strategies Marnie Sinclair

Community Consultant Dave Robertson

Communications Consultant Amanda Perry Administrative Assistant Jill McDougall

Phone: (306) 780-9248 or 1-866-888-3648 Fax: (306) 780-9466

Supported by:

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

December 2014 01

Community Achievement…Another year is beginning and what could be a better way to kick it off than by highlighting exceptional programs, people and events across Saskatchewan!

I had the opportunity to meet and chat with the award winners at this year’s SPRA Conference. Each individual and group significantly contributed to their communities in different ways. The common theme for each award winner was that they were honoured by the nomination and award, but each humbly suggested that they were just doing what needed to be done…just doing my part…no big deal… They all seemed to be proudest of the accomplishment that most affected their community in a positive way.

Recreation is indeed a contributor to the wellbeing of com-munities…imagine what your community would be like without recreation! I remember a commercial in Regina that asked the viewer to imagine how the City would look without trees. You may not know this, but every tree in Regina was planted. Our parks and green spaces were created by those with a vision…by those likely just doing their part for the community...no big deal. I can not imagine Regina without trees and definitely can not imagine our communities without recreation.

Amongst all our community leaders, we also have a strong youth base to help keep the future strong. Our youth award winners at the Conference were outstanding contributors in their own way. In this edition, there is an article about the Duke of Edinburgh Youth Recognition Awards. My son is currently working on his gold achievement and will complete it very soon. His experience with this program has positively influenced him - and the volunteer component of the program introduced him to opportunities to contribute to the commu-nity’s wellbeing.

In each of our communities, there is always someone who goes above and beyond to make their community a better place through recreation. Although everyone can be nomi-nated for volunteer awards, not everyone can be an award recipient at the SPRA Awards Banquet. Yes…it is an honour just to be nominated…but there are many ways you can

recognize volunteers in your community. There is an article in this edition dedicated to just that…ideas for volunteer recognition. The most original idea I have ever seen was given by Dave Packard (computer guru) for “extraordinary contempt and defiance beyond the normal call of engineer-ing”. The short story is that the individual was given the award to recognize accomplishments that would never have occurred if they had listened to their boss. In my mind, this recognized the willingness to commit to the task at hand despite obstacles…sounds like someone who is contributing to the community!!

Just like in the movies…there are no small roles. It takes a whole community to create a recreation environment…Not just the mainstage folks but the unsung contributors as well. I am reminded of a story that emphasises that team approach. The story goes that in 1962, during President Kennedy’s visit to NASA, he noticed a janitor carrying a broom. He interrupted his tour and walked over to the man and said “Hi, I’m Jack Kennedy. What are you doing?” The janitor replied… “Well Mr. President, I’m helping put a man on the moon.” The janitor understood the importance of his contribution…he was, and felt he was, a valuable part of something bigger than himself and his specific tasks. I hope each of you and each volunteer and each recreation contributor, can feel that way…because they are all indeed an essential cog in the community wellness wheel.

Enjoy the New Year and don’t forget to recreate…and don’t forget to recognize those who are contributing to your community!

Mike PowellSPRA President

02 December 2014

SIMPLY THE BEST!What better examples of community and individual achievement than the SPRA Award Winners. The SPRA Awards recognize the achievements of extraordinary individuals and groups who have left a lasting impact on parks and recreation. Here are some of their stories.

Volunteer of the Year - Jason ChorneykoJason has been actively involved as a volunteer in the community of Wynyard with the Wynyard Kinsmen Club, the Wynyard Health Clinic Board and the Wynyard Grizzlies Recreation Hockey Club. His skills in fundraising, event planning and administration have positively contributed to the health and wellbeing of the entire com-munity.

Community Achievement Award - Radville-Laurier Swimming Pool Committee The Radville swimming pool served its com-munity for over 40 years but in 2010 the pool faced closure. Recognizing the importance of the swimming pool to the community, a group of individuals formed a steering committee in January of 2010 and took the necessary steps to keep the pool afloat.

Parks and Open Space AwardIn 2013, the Ituna Communities in Bloom Committee applied for and received two grants: CN EcoConnexions From the Ground Up and Agrium 2013 Community Green Spaces Grant. With this fund-ing and through the help of community volunteers and organizations, the Ituna Communities in Bloom Committee was able to create a community orchard by transforming 5 brown lots, into not only a beautiful setting, but a very fruitful one for the future.

Facility Operations Award - Lawrence DunneLawrence started with the City of HumboldtCommunity Leisure Department in 1996 and rose to the ranks of Facility Manager responsible for all facility operations within the City of Humboldt Community and Leisure Department. Lawrence has been instrumental in introducing new technologies to the facili-ties he manages, resulting in efficient and effective operations.

SPRA Scholarship - Nadia PhilipenkoNadia is in her fourth and final year of her Kinesiology degree at the University of Saskatchewan. She has been on the College of Kinesiology academic Honour Roll for both the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 academic years. Her athletic and competitive sport background has guided Nadia in her community and volunteer activities. She has been a volunteer coach for both gymnastics and diving at the junior level and partici-pates in organizing or running events and competitions.

December 2014 03

THE WARMAN LEGENDS CENTREFROM VISION TO REALITY

What started out as a dream for the community has now turned into reality for the community of Warman with the

Warman Legend’s Centre.

The Legends Centre is a multi-purpose facility that features: ■ 2 gymnasiums with 3 courts per gymnasium, used to host a variety of sports such as volleyball, basketball, badminton and indoor soccer. ■ A year round arena with 12 dressing rooms.■ Multi-purpose rooms ideal for meetings, conferences and workshops.■ A child minding room that offers babysitting services for adults using the facility.■ Commercial vendors including Anytime Fitness, Pro-Sport Rehab for Women and Warman Sports.

The volunteers of the Warman Multipurpose Committee spent 8 years canvassing for donations from local community mem-bers and businesses for construction of the facility. They also ran annual fundraisers including the Hockey Draft Spectacular and the Sports Celebrity Dinner and Auction. Now with the facility operational, they continue to fundraise through annual

fundraising events for the addition of a second ice surface. In 2013, the Ice Dogs, a recreation hockey team in the communi-ty, partnered with the Committee to run an Annual Community Adult Hockey Tournament. The second ice surface will support the needs of the fast growing community and increase number of participants in the Minor Hockey Program as well as other programs like the Warman Osler Skating Club and many local and surrounding area recreation and senior hockey teams.

The increased accessibility of gymnasium space and ice times has helped to develop and expand the number of participants for local community groups. Warman High School also has a great partnership with the City of Warman Recreation Depart-ment and the Legends Centre Staff and have hosted many events in the facilities when their own facilities were unavail-able.

The Warman Legend’s Centre was recently awarded SPRA’s Cecil Nobes Facility Award of Excellence at the SPRA Confer-ence this October. This award is presented to a municipality for construction of a new facility, where the unique or out-standing design contributes to the overall efficiency or acces-sibility of the facility operation component.

The Legends Centre has been instrumental in improv-ing the quality and accessibility of sport, culture and recreation programs within the City of Warman.

Congratulations Warman!

04 December 2014

LEADING THE WAY TO FITNESS

Learn more about one of SPRA’s extraordinary fitness leaders, Leeta Harms. An excellent role model who helps to inspire participants to train

their minds, bodies and spirits!

Health and Fitness is sometimes something we and resi-dents of our Towns and Cities find difficult to commit to. When daily life takes over it can be difficult to motivate ourselves, even to something that in the long run makes us happier and healthier. This is why the residents in the Town of Shellbrook are so lucky to have Leeta Harms, promoting and providing the opportunity to participate in high quality physical activity here in our small town.

Running two classes a week, Leeta concentrates on giving her loyal participants workouts that aim to improve cardio, strength, endurance and flexibility. She delivers her sessions using a range of different teaching methods and a variety of activities. Recently she called me to suggest she include pumpkins in her workout to celebrate Halloween! Quirky ideas like these make her classes one of a kind.

“Leeta Harms is a positive role model in our community. Her welcoming demeanor never promotes

intimidation when new people come to class. I am sure I speak for many when I say she is someone I look up to

when it comes to fitness level and positive attitude.” - Richelle Anderson of Shellbrook and long-time

participant of ‘Fitness with Leeta”

It has to be said that Leeta always goes the extra mile to in-spire her participants. She sends all of her participants email or texts to remind everyone about class and always includes a motivational message in each one.

“Having moved from Calgary, I missed the busyness the big city has to offer. I desperately needed something

that I could look forward to while trying to fit in and keep fit. Since joining ’Fitness with Leeta’ she has encouraged me to start from a level I was comfortable with and yet moti-vated me to go a step extra every time. 7 months down

the line, with excellent fitness and a good diet plan, I have lost 2 dress sizes and I can say thanks to

Leeta for getting me motivated.”- Uzo Ajogwu, a new resident and participant

Two years ago when I started my role in Shellbrook as Rec-reation Director, I already had knowledge of how important participation in physical activity is, coming from a Sport and Leisure Development background. I also knew how difficult it is sometimes to encourage consistent inclusion, but here in Shellbrook, Leeta Harms seems to have found the key to inspiring the residents of Shellbrook.

Jenny Hosie Shellbrook Recreation Director

December 2014 05

SUPPORTING MENTAL HEALTH THROUGH QUALITY PHYSICAL

ACTIVITY

RECREATION ACROSS THE SEASONS

Regina Beach, Buena Vista, and Kinookimaw make up the South Shore

community along the south edge of Last Mountain Lake, located forty-five

minutes Northwest of Regina. This community is known for its year round

recreation and leisure activities.

On a typical winter day, people of all ages are out ice fish-ing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing and ice-skating. On sum-mer days, you’ll find people out swimming, boating, hiking, mountain biking, golfing, and enjoying the beach atmosphere with either a box of fish and chips or an ice cream cone in hand. It does not take much to convince locals and visitors to take part in some kind of recreational activity at the Beach. However, after an exceedingly long, triple layer, sun-dog permanently in the sky, the skidoo’s too cold to start winter, this community was in need of a let’s get going kick-off to summer event.

Regina Beach was fortunate to host the 2014 June is Rec-reation & Parks Month (JRPM) Get Outdoors Kick-Off event

the first nice-weather weekend in June this past spring. The event had a variety of outdoor recreation and leisure activities throughout the day.

The morning began with a Nature Walk along the old train walking trail, Zumba on the beach, and outdoor yoga; all lead by local instructors. The afternoon included stand-up paddle boarding, a kids play area, a BBQ hosted by the local fire department complete with smokies, burgers and snow cones, and speeches from reprentatives of SPRA, the Ministry of Parks, Culture and Sport and Regina Beach. The event wrapped up in the evening with a group paddle in canoes. The day was a success with more than three hundred people in attendance and many smiling faces ready to enjoy more warm-weathered activities. The community’s enthusiasm to engage in familiar and new outdoor recreation activities flourished over the next few months. Locals and visitors got hooked on geocaching, ca-noeing, local adventuring and community beautification. As a result, there is a growing sense of community connectivity and improvement of overall wellness at the Beach, which, is very contagious and refreshing!

Kathleen HilsdenRecreation Coordinator, Town of Regina Beach

06 December 2014

Yeye abusua baako - we are one family! One family with an amazing community that lives down a winding dirt road in tiny mud houses. By western standards they have next to nothing - no power, running water- not even a toilet! However, they are full of joy and are very content. It was very humbling as they opened their lives and shared their beautiful families with us to truly experience their culture and work together as “yonkos” (partners) on a school building. This community, whose liveli-hood is harvesting palm oil, has identified education as their first step to a better life for their children.

Traveling with Me to We/Free the children, Guiding members from AB, MB and our Trex unit from SK traveled to Ghana, Af-rica for two weeks. The purpose of our visit was school build-ing and we spent our working time hauling sand, gravel and water and hand mixing cement to pour the floor of the school, as well as making cement bricks to complete two rounds of brick walls. We took Asante Twi language lessons, 30 hours of leadership training, took part in a water walk to learn how and where the water is sourced and played lots of great team building games. We visited a local market and toured Cape Coast Castle - the port of no return for millions of slaves dur-ing the slave trade. Standing in the dungeons where slaves were held until being sold and shipped made this sad part of history very real and a reminder of modern day slavery that continues in parts of the world.

The highlights for the girls were working on the build site and playing with the children. In spite of language barriers, it was amazing to witness how the girls opened their arms and hearts to love the children. It didn’t matter that some children were in tatters or did not even have clothes, that some were

AIDS orphans or had obvious medical needs. We had a lot of fun together and lifetime memories were made. The girls identified the most challenging part of the trip was being immersed in the extreme poverty, seeing how polluted the families’ water source was and how the families live. Other challenges included the change in our diet and climate, and having to leave the community for the last time.

Me to We/Free the Children work together with communities in 8 countries with holistic sustainable development by bringing youth to truly experience culture and be hands on involved with the community. Two facilitators were provided for the trip and they took care of all the programming, ran the leadership sessions and helped each girl to develop a personal action plan that was brought back to Canada to work on in the weeks and months ahead.

In spite of the huge piles of cookies that had to be sold over the past two years and all the fundraising and paperwork for the trip, each one of us would go again in a second if we had the opportunity. In the words of one participant “Realizing that I helped to build a school that would determine the child in my arms future is so powerful and humbling. Life is good when you are happy, but life is great when others are happy because of you,” If anyone would like additional information about our trip or our partnership with Me to We/Free the Children please contact me at culee@sasktel.net

Brenda LeeRed Wing TREX Girl Guide Unit

Girl Guides from Alberta, Manitoba and the Trex unit from Saskatchewan partnered with Me

to We/Free the Children to travel to Ghana, Africa for two weeks to experience the culture and be involved, hands on with the community through the building of a school. Read on to learn more

about their adventure.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN GHANA

December 2014 07

VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION How do you let your volunteers know you appreciate them? How do you say thank you? An effective volunteer recognition program fufills volunteers’ motives and improves volunteer retention. Here are some ideas on how you can recognize volunteers involved in your programs, initiatives and events. By incorporating these ideas into your volunteer program, you will reinforce their value, letting them know they matter and keep them coming back for more.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

■ Place an ad in the local newspaper, listing volunteers and thanking them for their service for the year.

■ Submit weekly or monthly feature articles on volunteers and their impact.

■ Profile the accomplishments of your volunteers on your community or organizational website, facebook or twitter.

FORMAL EVENTS

■ Plan a Recognition Banquet, Luncheon or Reception to recognize longterm involvement and special contributions. This may be a sponsorship opportunity for businesses in your community.

■ Nominate your volunteer for the SPRA Volunteer of the Year Award or the Youth Volunteer of the Year Award. These awards recognize volunteers for their outstanding achievements in the improvement of recreation opportunities at the local level.

REMEMBER TO SAY THANK YOU

■ Send out thank you letters or emails to volunteers for assisting in events, programs and initiatives. Even a small gesture of appreciation can encourage retention.

■ Tell your volunteers they did a great job, verbally. Share with them the impact they are making in your program.

RESPECT THEIR TIME

■ Be prepared for your meetings, start on time and return calls and emails promptly. By respecting their time, you value them as volunteers.

DEVELOP YOUR VOLUNTEERS

■ Provide the necessary resources in order for volunteers to be effective in their roles, as well as transferring attitudes, competencies and knowledge. Consider the SPRA Leadership Development Grant. This grant, provides up to a maximum of $500 per program to SPRA Active members to develop human resources needed to continue building community capacity that will advance recreational opportunities. One category includes Volunteer or Community Capacity Building and includes training in areas including Play Leadership, Pilates or Yoga Delivery Training, Playground safety workshop, Fitness Leadership, Lifeguard certification, Everybody gets to play™ Training, and HIGH FIVE®.

CELEBRATE NATIONAL VOLUNTEER WEEK

■ National Volunteer Week is a time to recognize, celebrate and thank Canada’s 13.3 million volunteers. This year National Volunteer Week takes place April 12 - 18, 2015. Try some of these ideas to make your volunteers feel extra appreciated!

For more ideas on volunteer recognition and retention, contact the Resources Centre at (306)780-9206.

Lori RossSPRA Consultant - CommunicationsEmail: lross@spra.sk.ca

References:Stillwell, Marla, Culp, Ken and Hunter, Kathleen. (June 2010). The Volunteer Recognition Program Model: Providing Volunteer Recognition Throughout the Year. Journal of Extension, 48(3). Retrieved from: http://www.joe.org/joe/2010june/tt2.php.Volunteer Canada. (n.d). National Volunteer Week 2015. Retrieved from: http://volunteer.ca/nvw.

08 December 2014

Dalmeny, Saskatchewan likes to move it, move it! Topping the list of 18 communities who participated in the 2014 Get Our Community Moving Challenge powered by Saskatch-ewan Blue Cross, Dalmeny took the top prize! The town of 1,900 residents walked, skated, jumped, skied, ran, shov-elled and moved for a total of 385,143 minutes of registered physical activity. That’s over 6,400 hours of activity during the 15-day challenge.

With the $10,000 grand prize, Dalmeny is revitalizing its Prai-rie Park into a safe, accessible playground that will include a soccer field, basketball courts, and a memorial for a local hero, Corporal Shane Keating. With this, the community can offer their children a positive space with physical activity op-portunities where they live, learn, and play.

The Get Our Community Moving Challenge powered by Saskatchewan Blue Cross will be back March 2 – 16, 2015! The challenge offers Saskatchewan communities the chance to win a grand prize of $10,000 for a community project or initiative that increases the physical activity for children and youth. New for 2015: there will be a $5000 runner up prize, a $1000 school prize, as well as individual incentives!

Communities can start registering for the 2015 Get Our Community Moving Challenge on December 1, 2014. Visit challenge.saskatchewaninmotion.ca today!

DALMENY LIKES TO MOVE IT, MOVE IT!

Dalmeny wins the 2014 Saskatchewan in motion Community Challenge!

Topping the list of 18 communities who participated in the 2014 Get Our Community Moving Challenge pow-ered by Saskatchewan Blue Cross, Dalmeny took the top prize! The town of 1,900 residents walked, skated, jumped, skied, ran, shovelled and moved for a total of 385,143 minutes of registered physical activity. That’s over 6,400 hours of activity during the 15-day chal-lenge.

With the $10,000 grand prize, Dalmeny is revitalizing its Prairie Park into a safe, accessible playground that will include a soccer field, basketball courts, and a memo-rial for a local hero, Corporal Shane Keating. With this, the community can offer their children a positive space with physical activity opportunities where they live, learn and play.

The Get Our Community Moving Challenge powered by Saskatchewan Blue Cross will be back March 2 – 16, 2015! The challenge offers Saskatchewan communities the chance to win a grand prize of $10,000 for a com-munity project or initiative that increases the physical activity for children and youth. New for 2015: there will be a $5000 runner up prize, a $1000 school prize, as well as individual incentives!

Communities can start registering for the 2015 Get Our Community Moving Challenge on December 1, 2014. Visit challenge.saskatchewaninmotion.ca today!

UNDERWATER EXPLORERS AN SPRA GRANT SUCCESS STORYSPRA is always inspired by the creativity and impact our grants have on Saskatchewan communities. In 2013-2014, our First Nation and Métis grants supported 20 recreation programs and initiatives across the province.

Here is just one example of how these funds made a difference.

Community: Muskoday First Nation Grant received: SPRA First Nation Member Recreation Grant

Program overview: One generally wouldn’t associate Saskatchewan with snorkeling but recreation has no boundaries for youth at the Muskoday First Nation. Through this funding they were able to explore a whole new world below the water line during their summer camps. They enjoyed canoeing and snorkel-ing in local lakes with their new equipment. They even incorporated rock hounding (amateur geology) as part of their program which involved collecting 100’s of rocks from the riverbed.

What is next for the program? With the success of the program during the summer months, the program will move to the pool during the winter where the youth will learn to hone their skills and prepare for next year’s adventures.

Benefits to the Community: It encourages youth to be more physically active, exposes them to different outdoor recreation opportunities and en-hances their appreciation of nature.

From grant opportunities to fundraising resources, the Saskatchewan Parks and Recreation Associa-tion can help support recreation in your community! Find out more at www.spra.sk.ca.

December 2014 09

‘TAKE A SHOT’ PHOTO CONTEST Show Use What Recreation Means to You!SWIFT CURRENT UNITED WAY PLAY PROGRAM

WINS NATIONAL AWARD Learn more about The United Way Active Play

program - a free, six-week, after school program that provides a safe, supervised environment

for children to be physically active, enjoy a nutri-tious snack, learn about healthy choices and

have fun!

The Swift Current United Way Active Play program was the national winner of the Speaking of Food and Healthy Living Award in June 2014! This is an annual award sponsored by Kraft Canada and Dietitians of Canada in collaboration with the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology that recognizes communication initiatives that promote clear and credible healthy living information to Canadians.

The award includes a cash prize of $5,000 to expand the pro-gram in rural areas and an Award of Excellence. Laura Vollet, Registered Dietitian who was the school nutritionist for this program, and Val Choo-Foo, Coordinator of this after school program for the City of Swift Current, attended the Dietitians of Canada conference and received the award on June 14th.

“We are incredibly proud and honored to have been chosen over applicants from all over Canada!” said Laura Vollet. “We have enjoyed working together with many of our partners to provide a quality program to students where they can have fun being physically active and learning about healthy eating.”

The United Way Active Play program was developed and is funded by a multi-sector partnership between the City of Swift Current, the Swift Current United Way, Cypress Health Region, Chinook School Division, Holy Trinity School Division, and Saskatchewan in motion. It is only because of these strong partnerships that this program has been so successful!

The United Way Active Play program is a free, six-week, after school program that provides a safe, supervised environment for children to be physically active, enjoy a nutritious snack, learn about healthy choices and have fun. The program invites children to participate in 60 minutes of fun activities, giving them the opportunity to be physically active followed by healthy snacks and nutrition games and education.

Val Choo-Foo adds, “In the past two years, the United Way Active Play program has reached 455 students from grades 1-5 in the four elementary schools in Swift Current. We have

provided 68 programs in those two years, and 100% of the parents who filled out questionnaires said that they would reg-ister their children again. We are very proud of our program and look forward to providing this program to many more children in the future!”

Back left to right: Val Choo-Foo (Coordinator of program – City of Swift Current), Archie Green (SC United Way), Councillor Denis Perrault (City of SC), Betty McDougal (Jumpstart), Cathy Knox (Cypress Health), Darla Lindbjerg (SC United Way), Susan Woods (SC United Way)Front left to right: Stacey Schwartz (SC United Way), Beth Cadrain (Chinook School Division), Laura Vollet (Cypress Health), Peggi Holmes (Cypress Health)

“This is a wonderful program that offers a huge amount of fun and nutrition for children!”

- Parent

Val Choo-Fooin motion Community Facilitator, City of Swift Current

DALMENY LIKES TO MOVE IT, MOVE IT!

10 December 2014

A COMMUNITY IN BLOOM

Greenspaces are important features in any community. They are the anchor that ties our communities to the land that they sit on. As more and more communities start to imple-ment Community Development and Economic Development programs it is important to consider community greenspaces and outdoor features. Many people will agree that a com-munity that looks good, feels good. Communities that take pride in their spaces are appealing to visitors, surrounding residents and prospective businesses thereby encouraging continued growth and development of residential and busi-ness areas.

It all started with an idea for the Town of Gull Lake. How do you make an already beautiful town, even more beautiful? The answer came through Communities in Bloom (CiB). At first, it began with a flower here, a flower there in April and May but by June, the entire town was blooming. Trees were planted where there once were empty lots, signs were replaced and the entire community jumped on board with the endeavour.

The recycling centre, once only a lot with a few bins, now featured several trees. An old building across the street now had its entire siding replaced. The 104 year old building that houses the local newspaper also went through extensive renovations prior to Communities in Bloom.

One night the fire hydrants were a dull colour, the next, they were a vibrant red, painted by the town crews to make the town stand out.

Through all of this hard work, the volunteers of Communities in Bloom must be singled out. Volunteers with the town spent every weekend of the spring and summer, painting, cleaning and constructing. Almost overnight a community garden had sprung up, tended to by volunteers and local school children. The swimming pool had a fresh coat of paint and all over town houses were being spruced up prior to the day the judges would arrive. It was impossible to walk down any street and find a house that didn't have flowers planted somewhere on the property.

If there was a prize for the town that saw the biggest change and most community involvement, chances are you would see Gull Lake in the top three at the very least.

Gull Lake will continue to flourish and develop. Pocket parks continue to be developed, our new Xeriscape Garden contin-ues to grow and businesses are sprucing up their storefronts as our downtown continues to be revitalized. Residents are also on board. The exceptional participation in our local CiB contests shows the real desire of homeowners to showcase their properties.

This spring and summer, the community banded to-gether and showed why this little town on the Trans-Canada was one of the most bloomin' beautiful in Canada.

Craig BairdGull Lake, Communities in Bloom

It all started with an idea for the Town of Gull Lake. How do you make an already beautiful town, even more beautiful? The answer came

through Communities in Bloom.

December 2014 11

THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH’S AWARDS YOUTH RECOGNITION

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is an international youth award for participants between the ages of

14-24. The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Gold Award was presented by His Royal Highness Prince

Edward - The Earl of Wessex, to 25 youth from across Saskatchewan.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Gold Award was presented by His Royal Highness Prince Edward - The Earl of Wessex, to 25 youth from across Saskatchewan. The presentation was held as a private event on September 18, 2014 at the RCMP ‘Depot’ Division in Regina.

These certificates were awarded in recognition of youth who have completed the requirements for the Gold Award. To earn this Award, the Achievers must work actively in the five sections of the Award program: volunteer service, a skill, physical recreation, an adventurous journey, a residential project, and working consistently over a minimum of 18 months. The Award was presented to the Achievers in the form of a lapel pin and a certificate.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is an international youth award for participants between the ages of 14-24. It is a fully-inclusive program, without academic requirements for participation. The delivery of our program has been extreme-ly effective through the use of key partnerships; we are not in competition with any other youth organization in Canada. In many ways we compliment current programs in the commu-nity as activities accomplished within your organizations are credited towards accomplishing the goals of the Award.

The Award Programme is comprised of three levels: Bronze, Silver and Gold. In each level, there are four sections that need to be completed. The Physical Recreation Section en-courages improved performance and fitness and is acccom-plished by doing.

Currently, there are 8 million participants in more than 140 countries worldwide, with approximately 1,250 participants in the Saskatchewan Division. More than 44,000 Canadian youth are currently participating in The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award programme, either as independents or members of organized groups such as sports teams, Guides, Cadets, Scouts, Community Centers, Churches, Friendship Centers or Schools. We are looking for Leaders to promote and men-tor our programme in their community.

The Award is not an academic achievement, but rather an opportunity to develop or be recognized for extra-curricular activities and interests. We are seeking all recreational coaches to implement our program into your sport. A strong point to the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is our ability to work in a variety of settings, with community-based youth groups, schools as well as independent participants. Young adults can also get a special credit for each level: bronze – 10, silver – 11 and gold – 12. These credits are recognized by the Ministry of Education on the participants’ high school transcripts.

If your team is interested in working together to achieve The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Programme, please contact our office at (306) 780-9278. We provide training for Leaders and encourage your team to participate.

Brenda Kondra, Executive Director The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

SPOTLIGHT ON

The SPRA President’s Award of Distinction was presented to Darrell Lessmeister at the SPRA Conference this October. This award is one of the most prestigious awards presented by SPRA. It is presented to an individual for their ‘lasting’ achieve-ment that has enhanced the public image and improved the services of parks and recreation at the provincial, district and local levels.

Darrell has been actively involved in the recreation field for over 24 years. Darrell has a Diploma in Recreation Technology from SIAST as well as a Degree in Leisure Services from the Univer-sity of Victoria. Darrell started his career in the recreation and parks sector in 1990 as the Recreation and Cultural Director for the Town of Rimbey in Alberta. In 1994, he took on the posi-tion of recreation director for the Town of Biggar, then in 1997, Director for Parks and Recreation for the District of Houston in BC. Darrel is currently the Director of Leisure Services in the City of Humboldt.

Darrell has been actively involved in advancing the recreation sector - at both the national and provincial levels - through his participation on the SPRA Board of Directors from 2007 – 2013. Darrell served as Director at Large from 2007 to 2009 and led the organization from 2009 to 2013 as President. In addition to his work with SPRA, Darrell also sat on a number of Boards, including the Quill Plains Regional Recreation Association and the District 5 Building Better Communities Transition Team, Brit-ish Columbia Recreation and Parks Association, and the Zone 3 Sports Council. Darrell has also been involved on committees of recreation associations, regional tourism and Alberta Recreation and Parks Association.

Darrell contributes to recreation in his spare time by coaching a number of activities - including diving, fastball, curling and soccer. He is also a swimming instructor for individuals with physical and cognitive disabilities.

TRAINING FOR THE AFTER SCHOOL TIME

PERIOD

SPRA is offering the following FREE Training Opportunities for After School Time Period Providers:

HIGH FIVE® Principles of Healthy Child Development (PHCD)Thursday, January 22, 20159:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (Lunch provided)Travelodge Regina (4177 Albert Street South) Regina, SK

This workshop provides in depth training in the HIGH FIVE® Principles of Healthy Child Development (PHCD) - which are: A Caring Adult, Friends, Play, Mastery and Participation. Front-line leaders will understand what they need to do to ensure each child’s social, emotional and cognitive needs are met. Leaders learn activities and gain knowledge, tips and resources to enhance their programs as well as their relationships with children and other staff members. Participants receive resources related to healthy child development including the Principles of Healthy Child Development Workbook and related hand-outs.

Using the HIGH FIVE® QUEST (QUEST 2)Friday, January 23, 20159:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (Lunch provided)Travelodge Regina (4177 Albert Street South) Regina, SK

This workshop will help supervisors and management to improve the quality of children’s programs by learning how to measure it with the HIGH FIVE® scientifically validated tool. Supervisors and managers will get practical train-ing on the use of QUEST 2 and will gain access to the HIGH FIVE® Database. They will learn how to enter the data into the Database to help them continually track their progress as well as identify areas of need.

Note: HIGH FIVE® PHCD is a prerequisite for individuals to partici-pate in the QUEST 2 workshop.

Course Registration Fees: FREE for After School Time Period Providers

To register or if you have questions, contact:Tanya MurphySPRA Consultant – Youth Engagement (306) 780-9219tmurphy@spra.sk.ca

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GRANTS AND FUNDING SPRA Forever...in motion Grant Application deadline: January 31, 2015

The SPRA Forever...in motion Grant supports increased participation in physical activity programs for older adults by offering financial assistance to communities that are Active members of SPRA and who wish to develop and implement a Forever…in motion program in their community.

SPRA Leadership Development Grant Application deadline: February 1, 2015

The SPRA Leadership Development Grant encourages members to develop human resources needed to continue building community capacity that will advance recreational opportunities.

SPRA First Nation Member’s Recreation Grant Application deadline: April 1, 2015

The SPRA First Nation Member’s Recreation Grant assists First Nation members to develop recreation opportunities in the First Nation communities within Saskatchewan.

SPRA Métis Recreation Development GrantApplication deadline: April 1, 2015

The SPRA Métis Recreation Development Grant assists SPRA Active members to develop recreation opportunities for Métis people in Saskatchewan.

For more information on these funding opportunities, please visit www.spra.sk.ca/funding.

SPOTLIGHT ON EVENTS Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA) Annual ConventionFebruary 1 - 4, 2015 (Saskatoon, SK)The Convention brings together urban municipal govern-ments from across Saskatchewan. In conjunction with the Annual Convention is the Municipal Marketplace Trade-show that showcases over a 150+ exhibitors with products and services that municipalities use each day. For more information or to register, visit www.suma.org.

Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM) Annual ConventionMarch 9 - 12, 2015 (Saskatoon, SK)The SARM Convention provides members with the op-portunity to gather to debate resolutions, discuss current issues and hear from political leaders and other presenters. For additional information, visit www.sarm.ca/events/ conventions.

Spring Education and Training Symposium April 13 - 17, 2015 (Humboldt, SK) The Symposium provides recreation, facility, parks practitioners and volunteers with the latest information and trends in the parks and facility industry. For more informa-tion, visit www.spra.sk.ca/symposium.

For information on upcoming events, visit www.spra.sk.ca/events.

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