Recreation Nova Scotia (RNS) staff and board members travelled to Ottawa last week to participate in the Canadian Parks and Recreation Association (CPRA)’s Forward Together: A Summit for Collective Impact, joining national colleagues to advance the role of recreation and parks in building healthy, connected communities.Over three days, delegates explored trends affecting the sector, contributed to the renewal of the Framework for Recreation in Canada, and met with federal policymakers to advocate for key investments.
Day 1 featured insights from organizations including Active Abilities Canada, ParticipACTION, and the Aboriginal Sport Circle. Delegates also discussed national trends such as crisis preparedness, homelessness, and sector-wide capacity challenges.
Day 2 focused on the Framework for Recreation, with expert guidance from Nancy DuBois followed by collective impact driven breakout sessions informing the ongoing update of the national framework. Dr. CJ Blye also shared new research on Inclusive Green Spaces, followed by CPRA’s Advocacy Delegate Training that prepared nearly 100 advocates for meetings on Parliament Hill.
Day 3 marked CPRA’s Day of Action, bringing sector leaders to Parliament Hill to meet with MPs across all parties. RNS met with MPs like, Minister Rebecca Alty, Minister Rebecca Chartrand, Philip Earle, and Nova Scotia MP, Kody Blois to share sector priorities and local impacts.
RNS and partners advanced federal recommendations from CPRA’s response to the Fall 2025 budget, including:
- Launching a national Collective Impact model to renew the Framework for Recreation in Canada
- Establishing a $100M annual Recreation Infrastructure Renewal Program
- Creating a $2M annual crisis-preparedness fund
- Positioning CPRA as a national partner for youth workforce development
RNS is proud to continue advocating for investments that strengthen recreation, parks, and community wellbeing across Nova Scotia and Canada.