The benefits of active living are clear.
We know it’s good for our health and has benefits for our community and economy. We surveyed nearly 300 of our readers, and 86 per cent of respondents said sports and physical activity are either important or very important to their lives.
This fall, the Calgary Journal set-out to tell stories about active living in our city. To do this, we used a modified Action-Journey, a model pioneered by Anita Li and her team at the Green Line in Toronto. Over the course of the term, we…
- Conducted Community Q&As with builders, athletes and coaches
- Wrote in-depth stories about sports and active living and its role in our community
- Published a feature article from our journalist-in-residence Doug Horner about the battle over trails in Bragg Creek
- Hosted a successful event on the need for an Alberta outdoor advocate, attended by more than 60 people
- Explored solutions to these problems
We’ll be adding to the page in the coming weeks so scroll on to learn more!
Active Calgary
Feature story
The trail battle in Bragg Creek and the future of outdoor recreation in Alberta
Public Event: Does Alberta need an Outdoor Advocate?
It was a cold and windy night in November but that didn’t stop more than 60 people from attending our public event on the potential for an Alberta outdoor recreation advocate. The forum, held on Nov. 29 and the BLOX Arts Centre, brought together a diverse group of business people, trail advocates, politicians and outdoor enthusiasts to discuss this important topic.
Photos by Scott Rowan and Archie McLean
A big thanks to our journalist in residence, Doug Horner, as well our attendees and our presenters:
- Christian Bagg, Bowhead Corp.
- Joey Reinhart, GROW Kananaskis
- Sarah Elmeligi, MLA for Banff-Kananaskis
- Albi Sole, ORCA
- Cailynn and Annalise Klingbeil, Go Outside
Community stories
Q&A
Research & solutions
Learn more about active living in Calgary
Active City Collective’s Play Book 2030
Outdoor recreation case study: Bentonville, Arkansas
Bentonville, in the Ozark mountains of Northwest Arkansas, is best known as the birthplace and headquarters of Walmart. But through investments from the company and the Walton Family Foundation, the community now modestly calls itself the “mountain biking capital of the world.”
Over the last two decades, primarily with with $ US 74 million from the foundation, plus public funds, Bentonville has built 163 miles of top-quality bike trails for riders of all skills and abilities. These trails attract tourists and have improved the quality of life of residents by promoting an active lifestyle and developing natural resources for outdoor recreation. The community is now rated as one of top biking cities in the U.S. and the move is attracting outdoor businesses to the area.
Bentonville’s success showcases the potential value of public-private partnerships, where businesses and government entities work together to address community needs. Through a mix of strategic planning and public-private partnerships, Bentonville has managed to provide a high quality of life for its residents while drawing visitors worldwide. This model demonstrates how towns of all sizes can leverage their unique assets to achieve balanced, sustainable growth, fostering a strong local economy, vibrant community, and a sense of shared identity.
Alberta recreation case study: Edmonton
Edmonton is far outpacing Calgary when it comes to indoor sports and recreation facilities. The city is home to 20 public leisure centres, compared to Calgary—which has two, and eight turf facilities, compared to Calgary with four.
This difference in space is essential for not just day-to-day gym-goers but also organizations, like the Calgary Sports and Social Club, who have to compete for very limited sporting space to run events and other sporting activities.
In 2008, Edmonton chose to invest in sports and recreation on a scale not seen in Calgary, spending $500-million to build many large-scale leisure facilities in many neighbourhoods around the city. This large-scale operation has set a gold standard that many other cities around the world have tried to imitate.
How this helps
The city of Calgary has only two recreational facilities, Southland and Village Square. This leaves a large portion of the city far away enough from these facilities that the activities they offer become inaccessible.
If more spaces are built in Calgary, more people can have easy and affordable access to indoor sporting facilities, such as gyms, pools, and weight rooms, that are standard in these sorts of facilities, and on average, cheaper than going to a private gym, such as a YMCA—with adults over 26 having to pay $5 dollars less per visit.
Many communities are left underserved, as there is simply too much land mass in the city for only two major public recreational facilities.
The solution is to look to mirror what Edmonton has been doing for the last decade and a half, building more public spaces for sports, to encourage healthy and active living. There is a need for advocacy in the city, for someone to remind government officials that sports and recreational needs are also essential to many residents.
— Alejandro Velasco
Solutions from our public event
Recreation advocate: Participants emphasized the importance of appointing a dedicated advocate or spokesperson to represent recreation-related interests at a provincial level. This role would involve ensuring equitable access to recreational opportunities, protecting outdoor spaces, and advising policymakers on integrating recreation into public health and community planning strategies.
Better city planning: Improved urban and regional planning was a key recommendation. Suggestions included prioritizing recreation spaces in city developments, improving connectivity between green spaces, and integrating sustainable, accessible recreation infrastructure into communities, particularly underserved areas.
Advocacy groups: Strengthening and establishing community-level advocacy groups.These groups could raise awareness about recreation-related issues, collaborate with stakeholders, and push for policy changes that reflect the needs of residents.
— Jasleen Bhangu
More to come…