ACE Communities September Update

Posted on: Sep 24 2009 | Posted in: ACE Announcements


ACE Communities continues to move forward….In this issue:

1. HOCKEY HERO
2. ACE WORK AT THE GRASSROOTS LEVEL
3. WELCOME TO FLIGHT 3A COMMUNITIES
4. SEEKING KIDS AT HOPE AMBASSADORS
5. ALBERTA ARTS DAYS
6. PLANNING FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH
7. BETA TESTING OF OUR NEW BENEFITS CATALOGUE
8. TO BLOG OR NOT TO BLOG…BLOGGER UPDATES
9. FLIGHT 3 LEADERS RETREAT
10.COMMUNITY ACHIEVEMENTS
11.ALBERTA’S FIRST ABORIGINAL RECREATION DIRECTORS SUMMIT
12.NEW RESOURCES

1. HOCKEY HERO
Many of you have met our charming and talented youth coordinator, Cameron Sault, in the line of his ACE Communities work with emerging leaders. What you may not have know is that he is also a skilled hockey player who left the New Credit First Nation where he was born and raised to play junior hockey in the Niagara Region. When he moved to Edmonton to work with ARPA and ACE Communities he continued to play and had a very successful season with Legal Vipers Senior Hockey Club. In a move that is good news for him and not so good news for us, Cameron has just accepted an offer to play pro hockey in Wisonsin with the Madison Ice Muskies. We wish him the best of luck.

2. ACE WORK AT THE GRASSROOTS LEVEL
Its been a challenge to explain what ACE is doing that contributes to community building but we think we’ve finally nailed it! This graphic describes the three paths we’ve learned are necessary on the journey toward becoming an ACE Community.
http://acecommunities.ca/images/uploads/3Journeys-Concept2-0491.pdf

3. WELCOME TO FLIGHT 3A COMMUNITIES
While we have selected ten communities who have become Flight 3 communities, we didn’t feel we could walk away from the enthusiam of the remaining applicants. As a result we’d like to extend an official welcome to our 3A communities! While we won’t be able to provide the same level of support, we’re going do as much as we can. If their first conference call was an indication they might just be the ones to watch. Welcome to City of Airdrie, Beaumont, Beaver County, Bodo Archaeological Society, Bon Accord, Botha, Carstairs, Village of Chauvin, Town of Cochrane, Village of Consort & Special Area #4, Town of Devon, Falher, Fairview, County of Flagstaff,Fort McLeod, Fort Saskatchewan, Jasper, City of Leduc, Village of Lougheed, Mannville, Medicine Hat, City of Red Deer, Red Deer County, Rimbey, St. Albert, Town of Strathmore, Sundre, and Vulcan County.

4. SEEKING KIDS AT HOPE AMBASSADORS
ARPA is looking for individuals interested in being ambassadors for an inspiring, empowering, and transformative approach for serving children and youth called “Kids at Hope.” Application deadline is noon on September 30th. You provide the passion and enthusiasm, and we’ll provide ongoing resources, learning opportunities, and support. For more information see http://acecommunities.ca/announcements/kids-at-hope-call-for-ambassadors/

5. ALBERTA ARTS DAYS
Our new Cultural Creative Liaison, Janet Naclia was fast off the mark and wrote her first blog about Alberta Arts Day. Check it out at http://artsandculturewithace.blogspot.com/2009/09/alberta-art-days-check-it-out_09.html

6. PLANNING FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH
ACE Communities is working closely with the existing ARPA Children and Youth Committee to prioritize and implement a variety of intiatives in a recent planning session. Their agreed upon principles include an emphasis on: – Philosophy of Kids at Hope – Partnerships and collaboration                                           – Holistic – Inclusive – Community development approach – Innovation, especially around the use of technology

7. BETA TESTING OF OUR NEW BENEFITS CATALOGUE
Many thanks to the volunteers who made the time to beta test our new online Benefits Catalogue. While there are still tweaks to be made before the Alberta preview that will take place at our Lake Louise conference on October 30th at the breakfast plenary, the feedback definitely indicates the impact and value of the more than 700 studies that are now referenced and searchable online. Each of us can be very proud to say unequivocably that leisure activities, parks and greenspace are essential to our physical, intellectual, social, spiritual well being, to our quality of life, to the environment and our economic sustainability. A tip of the hat to Doug Brimacombe,Tim Burton, Agnes Croxford, Janet Fletcher, Judi Frank, Sue Garland, Kelsey Hicks, Punch Jackson, Lara Lauzon, Anita MacLeod, Heather O’Hearn, Carol Petersen, and Luke Potworka. Thanks as well to Brenda Clarke for her outstanding project management.

8. BLOGGER UPDATES
A number of our bloggers have been writing about community and community building.
See Brenda Herchmer’s blog entitled Community as a Feeling at
http://brenda.herchmer.net/index.php?/site/comments/community_as_a_feeling/  It reflects the growing view of some that believe community building is the responsiblity of local government.
Community Development Coach Beth Sanders wrote this insightful column that built on her learnings playing soccer this summer. It’s catchy title – When I have the ball I can’t see anything else!
http://populus.ca/plan/2009/09/15/when-i-have-the-ball-i-cant-see-anything-else/
Brenda’s also written about innovation http://brenda.herchmer.net/index.php?/site/comments/strategies_for_innovative_leadership/
and a column about the future direction of education called I think I just might be an Edupunk!
http://brenda.herchmer.net/index.php?/site/comments/i_might_just_be_an_edupunk/
Follow this link to Les Brost’s column called the Social Side of Community Engagement
http://conversationcatalyst.blogspot.com/2009/09/social-side-of-community-engagement.html
Karen Driedger also provides some great ideas for making conference calls more effective http://karendriedger.blogspot.com/2009_08_01_archive.html

9.FLIGHT 3 LEADERS RETREAT
Flight 3 leaders hunker down in Sylvan Lake this week (not likely in the actual lake!) at their first Leaders Gathering on September 22, 23 and 24th.

10. COMMUNITY ACHIEVEMENTS
One of the greatest achievements from High Level ACE Leader Carrie Demkiw is the birth of her and husband Cameron’s first child, a daughter Noelyn (pronounced NO-LIN), who was born on Friday, August 28th. She was 8 lbs 3 oz and 20.5 inches long (just a couple inches shy of her Dad’s hope of 24 inches). Petite Carrie, says, “I guess it’s like a fish in a fish bowl, you can only grow as big as your environment!”
Lots happening with community gardens in IRRICANA, HIGH LEVEL, and HINTON. Read more at http://acecoaches.blogspot.com/2009/08/community-gardens-are-growing-in-rural.html
Watch this video that shows more about Sangudo’s unprecedented $100,000 park makeover!  http://acecommunities.ca/index.php/digital_media/ Sangudo/
More information about DIDSBURY’s October 7th and 8th workshop on rural volunteerism can be found here:
http://acecommunities.ca/announcements/rural-volunteerism-workshp-oct-7-8-in-didsbury/
SYLVAN LAKE and HIGH LEVEL will both be busy busy this Saturday as they refurbish playgrounds as part of Ian Hill’s Let Them Be Kids Program. 
KITSCOTY and DRAYTON VALLEY have both incorporated an ACE community-driven approach to their Municipal Sustainability Plans. More stories from the grassroots will be presented at the ARPA Conference during their session on Friday, October 30th at 2:45.

11. ALBERTA’S FIRST ABORIGINAL RECREATION DIRECTORS SUMMIT
We’re looking for recreation practitioners who believe sport, recreation, arts and culture makes a difference to individuals and their communities. If you are one of them and are currently in a position either as a paid staff member or volunteer responsible for delivering sport and recreation in rural settings to aboriginal communities, we invite you to join us at the first Alberta Aboriginal Recreation Leaders Summit from Thursday October 15th noon to Friday, October 16th 2:00 pm at Sylvan Lake. For more information see
http://docs.google.com/View?id=dd87p7kt_9dr2tm3dx

12. NEW RESOURCES
New Resources at this link:
http://acecommunities.ca/main-links/ – Becoming a Creative Community – Play Streets = Cultural Capital – How are Canadians Really Doing? – Age Friendly Cities Checklist – Youth disengagement from the democratic process. Nothing could be further from the truth…– Active Kids Nova Scotia – Economic Benefits of Bicycle Infrastructure

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