March Update

Posted on: Apr 01 2010 | Posted in: Arts, Culture, & Heritage


In this issue:

1. HIGH PRAISE FOR HIGH LEVEL ACE LEADERS
2. WE’RE DANCING AND SINGING IN GRANDE CACHE
3. IGNITING IN INNISFAIL AND COLD LAKE
4. BRINGING THE POWERFUL MESSAGE OF KIDS AT HOPE TO RURAL ALBERTA
5. RECOGNIZE EXCELLENCE WITH AN ARPA AWARD
6. FREE COMMUNITY LEADERHIP TRAINING
7. SEEDING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FOR YOUTH
8. RECREATION IN ABORIGINAL COMMUNITIES
9. MORE EVIDENCE OF THE VALUE OF PARKS AND RECREATION
10.BLOGGER HIGHLIGHTS
11.COMMUNITY ACHIEVEMENTS
12.ACE CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS
13.NEW RESOURCES
14.SPRING RETREAT (Flight 2 and 3)   
15.UPCOMING COMMUNITY BUILDING WORKSHOPS
16.OOPS WE GOOFED
17.DEADLINE FOR NEWSLETTER SUBMISSION

ACE COMMUNITIES HAS BEEN MADE POSSIBLE AS THE RESULT OF FUNDING FROM RURAL ALBERTA’S DEVELOPMENT FUND, ENCANA, CENOVUS ENERGY, AND CANWEST!

1.  HIGH PRAISE FOR HIGH LEVEL ACE LEADERS
ACE leaders Carrie Demkiw and Adam Clarkson recently won the Chamber of Commerce ‘Volunteer of the Year Award’ for their work in High Level. They were co-nominated primarily due to the work they have done with their local ACE initiatives. Amazing work Carrie and Adam! Thanks for demonstrating ACE Communities’ commitment to developing leaders in rural Albertan communities.

2. WE’RE DANCING AND SINGING IN GRANDE CACHE
The ACE ARTS Tour has just returned from Grande Cache where there was definitely plenty of dancing and singing taking place. The Tour, that included 2010 Juno-nominated singer John Wort Hannam (http://www.johnworthannam.com/home.htm), John Rutherford (http://www.myspace.com/johnrutherford) as well as Cochrane dance instructors Michelle Greenwell and Emma Forman (http://www.dancedebut.com), resulted in visits and dance and music workshops and performances in Grande Cache schools, senior centres, their recreation centre, and guitar and dance workshops in Susa Creek for the Aseniwuche Winewak Nation. We were impressed by the talent, the enthusiasm, and the creative people in Grande Cache.  Rumour has it that even their Mayor busted a few moves! ACE truly believes that arts, culture, and heritage reflect the heart and spirit of a community and we saw that in Grande Cache.  Keep an eye on the ACE online Digital Gallery for pics from the events. Watch for the next ACE ARTS Tours in: Hanna (May 17 – 20), Frog Lake (May 26 – 29) and Longview (June 2 – 5).

3.  IGNITING IN INNISFAIL AND COLD LAKE
The ACE Team, along with ACE Ambassador Ian Hill, have now finished the ACE Ignite Tour with the last stops in Innisfail and Cold Lake.  Both communities rose to the challenge! In Innisfail, the ACE Ambassador Ian Hill met with nearly 100 school kids, members of town council, local community leaders, business owners, and members of the not-for-profit sector.  Innisfail is well on its way to being an exemplary ACE Community!  Great things are also happening in Cold Lake.  During their Ignite events, representatives from the town council, the local agricultural society, volunteer groups, businesses, and non-profits also came together to discuss Cold Lake’s potential ACE activities.  A group of young, single mothers even banned together as part of Cold Lake’s Collective Kitchens program to make food for the ACE meetings.  Way to go Cold Lake!

4.  BRINGING THE POWERFUL MESSAGE OF KIDS AT HOPE TO RURAL ALBERTA

Rick Miller, Founder, President, and Chief Treasure Hunter for Kids at Hope, will be touring the Kids at Hope pilot communities throughout Alberta from April 6-14th, 2010. Look for Kids at Hope meetings in PADDLE PRAIRIE, HIGH LEVEL, BASHAW, CAMROSE, HANNA, AIRDRIE, and RED DEER. The program was launched in Alberta by ARPA in October 2009 with a number of communities and schools participating in the pilot phase.  Kids at Hope inspires, empowers, and transforms families, youth serving organizations (schools, parks and recreation departments, etc.) and entire communities to create an environment where all children experience success, NO EXCEPTIONS!  For more information about Kids at Hope, please visit http://www.kidsathope.org.  For details on the 2010 Tour of Hope, please contact Roxanne Gingras, ARPA Children and Youth Program Coordinator, at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
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5.  RECOGNIZE PROVINCIAL EXCELLENCE IN RECREATION AND PARKS WITH AN ARPA AWARD

Applications for this year’s ARPA Awards are now available at http://www.awards.arpaonline.ca.  Nominations are being accepted in the following categories:  Wildrose Award, ARPA Merit Award, Parks Excellence Award, A.V. Pettigrew Award, AABRD Legacy Award, Excellence in Youth Development Award.  ARPA’s awards are a celebration of the innovative and successful endeavours in the recreation and parks industry. These awards and scholarships advocate to the provincial government the need and priority of the recreation and parks services’ role in Alberta communities.  Let’s not allow these contributors go unnoticed!  The deadline for completing the nomination/application form is May 31st, 2010.  Please visit http://www.awards.arpaonline.ca for more information.

6.  FREE COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP TRAINING

The ACE Communities Community Builder webcast series led by Ian Hill is now well underway.  If you missed the previous three webcasts, you can find them archived at http://acecommunities.ca/community-builder/archive/.  To participate in the next live webcast, simply visit http://acecommunities.ca/community-builder/ on Friday, April 30, 2010 at 10:00 a.m.

7.  SEEDING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FOR YOUTH

The next round of applications for Sogo Active seed grants will be accepted until April 17th, 2010.  Sogo Active is a movement designed to encourage physical activity by and for youth between 13 and 19 years of age.  To assist with reducing the barriers to physical activity, seed grants are available through the program.  Currently, there are over 80 Alberta organizations and 1000 youth registered in Sogo Active.  Since 2009, ARPA has awarded over $30,000 in seed grants to youth and community host organizations through a partnership with ParticipACTION with funding from Coca-Cola. For more information on Sogo Active, or how to access seed grants, please visit http://www.sogoactive.com or contact Denise Gariépy, ARPA Program and Member Services Manager, at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
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8. RECREATION IN ABORIGINAL COMMUNITIES
As you may be aware Alberta Recreation and Parks Association (ARPA) together with Indigenous Sport Council Alberta (ISCA) are working together to connect staff and volunteers from across Alberta who are delivering recreation and sports in aboriginal communities.  After a summit held in Sylvan Lake last October, our first meeting was held via teleconference on March 22nd. You will find the meeting summary and information regarding training and resources at http://acecommunities.ca/images/uploads/Aboriginal_Rec_Mtg_Summary_March_22_2010.pdf The n.ext meeting will be held on WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21 FROM 10:00 TO 11:00 AM.  Please email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
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if you have items you’d like to add to the agenda. The agenda and conference call dial in phone numbers will follow several days prior to the call to all those who are currently on the ARPA aboriginal listserv.

9.  MORE EVIDENCE OF THE VALUE OF PARKS AND RECREATION
Latest additions to the Benefits Catalogue include research on the effects of outdoor education programs for children, the benefits of a community-based therapeutic recreation and adaptive sports program, the economic contribution of the culture sector to Canada’s provinces, the effect of ice hockey on girls’ physical, intellectual, and social development, and sport as a post-disaster psychosocial intervention in Bam, Iran.  For the details see benefits.acecommunities.ca.

10.  BLOGGER HIGHLIGHTS
Many of March’s blogs have focused on how values can define the manner in which we shape community.  For examples see:
Les Brost’s ‘What Drives Our Values’: http://conversationcatalyst.blogspot.com/2010/03/what-drives-our-values.html;
Brenda Herchmer’s ‘Learning for learnings sake’: http://brenda.herchmer.net/index.php?/site/learning_for_learnings_sake/;
Carolyn Mead’s ‘Work with me!’: http://rollinghillsalberta.blogspot.com/2010/03/work-with-me.html and <,br /> Duna Bayley’s ‘Soap Operas, Cultural Shifts, and Peace’: http://pioneerleadership.wordpress.com/2010/03/22/soap-operas-cultural-shifts-and-peace/

11.  COMMUNITY ACHIEVEMENTS
Community residents in CHESTERMERE had an opportunity to stick it! Sticking “it” translates into posting a sticky note on to a community map to determine existing assets in the community.  A community wide gathering was held where people complete a scanning tool that examines over all quality of life in the community.  Group discussions focused on the strengths and celebrations that Chestermere has to offer its residents as well as areas that need attention.
LONGVIEW has been moving forward with the planning for their upcoming ACE ARTS Tour in June. They have already formed a Tour-related planning committee and are even thinking of making the ARTS Tour an annual event.  Local musician Eva Levesque has been heading the initiative and has a fundraiser dance scheduled for May 1st at the community hall. The Fundraiser will have a 50’s, 60’s, or 70’s theme and period dress is expected!!!  Way to embrace the Creative in ACE, Longview!
It is amazing what transpires when a group of local citizens have input into the renewal of a local park. The Town of KILLIAM has a group of local leaders working along side town staff and council to renew the local heritage park. All citizens, including youth, will be equally involved in the planning and decision making process. The design team is looking for ways to enhance the cultural and heritage aspects of the Heritage Park.
Three main projects, a Trail System, Skateboard Park, and the Rejuvenation/Re-creation of a former Curling Rink to a Family Fun Centre, have been identified by a ‘dotmocracy’ process in TROCHU. Groups have met to compare notes and maximize grant funding opportunities.  Trochu ACE leaders feel that good things cannot help but happen when like-minded residents (10 through 70 years old around one table/project !) each feel heard and valued.  Fantastic work, Trochu!

12.  ACE CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS
ACE is everywhere!  Come visit us as we present at the following upcoming conferences: the Growing Rural Tourism Conference from April 12 – 14; the Indigenous Sport Council (Alberta) Conference in Red Deer, April 29 – May 1; and the Alberta Small Communities Conference in Mannville from May 28 – 30.  Check out our sessions if you also happen to be attending any of these events.

13. NEW RESOURCES
Have you checked out the great new weekly resources at acecommunities.ca?  ACE Communities is diligently adding new resources and training opportunities related to community development to its website.  Make sure to check out: the ‘Resource Links’, the ‘Arts, Culture, & Heritage’ resource section, the ‘Training Opportunities’ section, ‘ACE Announcements’, the new ‘Aboriginal Communities’ blog, and our live Twitter feed.

14. SPRING RETREAT (Flight 2 and 3 communities)
The dates for ACE Communities’ SPRING RETREAT for Flights 2 and 3 will take place in Sylvan Lake from May 11 – 13, 2010.  Registration forms are now available.  For further questions, please contact Carolyn Mead at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
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15. UPCOMING ACE COMMUNITY BUILDING WORKSHOPS
Don’t forget that ACE Communities is on the road!  We are offering a number of workshops where you can join others in your community who are interested in learning more about becoming a more active, creative, engaged communities.  Upcoming free 2010 community building workshops to date include:  HOBBEMA – April 7; St. Albert – April 17; FORT MCMURRAY/MD of WOOD BUFFALO – April 27; CANMORE – June 2, 2010; CROWSNEST PASS – June 3, 2010.  For more information including contacts for registration see http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AWDV09_nQBGJZGc3dHEzeHhfNzdoa2IzZnNxYg&hl=en or email Carolyn Mead, Community Liaison, with any questions or interest: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
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. 
Our thanks as well to the fabulous hosts who have welcomed us to date….Okotoks, Red Deer County, Jasper, Airdrie, Mannville, Kitscoty, and Fort Saskatchwan!

16.  APOLOGIES TO LONGVIEW SCHOOL
Our apologies to Kathy Sisco, a grade 3 and 4 teacher. while we are sure there are technologically savvy students in Vulcan, hers are actually located in Longview.  We mistakenly wrote last month that they were from Vulcan. Sorry Longview!

17. DEADLINE FOR NEWSLETTER SUBMISSION
Do you have ACE-related news to share for inclusion in the newsletter? Please submit any news to Janet Naclia .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
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by the 20th of every month.

ACE COMMUNITIES HAS BEEN MADE POSSIBLE AS THE RESULT OF FUNDING FROM RURAL ALBERTA’S DEVELOPMENT FUND, ENCANA, CENOVUS ENERGY, AND CANWEST!

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