ARPA 75th Anniversary
This milestone presents an opportunity to honour our legacy as well as allow members, partners, alumni and supporters to invest in the future of recreation and parks.
Celebrating 75 Years of ARPA: A Journey Through Our History
As part of ARPA’s 75th Anniversary celebrations, a dedicated group of volunteers, led by Past-President Candy Lannan, set out on a journey to uncover, collect and share the stories that have shaped the Alberta Recreation and Parks Association.
The journey took us to the Provincial Archives, into conversations with ARPA alumni, past presidents and longtime leaders, and through countless photographs, documents and memories from decades past. Along the way, we rediscovered the people, ideas, challenges and accomplishments that helped build ARPA and strengthen Alberta’s recreation and parks sector.
Think of this website as ARPA’s virtual museum—a place to explore the people and moments that have shaped our organization over the past 75 years. What you see here is a curated collection of stories, photographs and other historical treasures. Our volunteers uncovered much more than could be shared on these pages, and that broader history has been preserved in a digital archive for future generations.
We invite you to explore, reminisce and discover.
We hope these stories spark fond memories for those who have been part of ARPA’s journey, while introducing a new generation to the people and ideas that came before them. Most importantly, we hope they demonstrate the lasting impact ARPA—and Alberta’s recreation and parks community—has had on the lives of Albertans.
Seventy-five years of history. Countless stories. And a legacy still in the making.
ARPA Major Milestones
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On February 20, 1950, the Alberta Recreation Executives’ Association (AERA) was formed at a meeting in Calgary.
1950
1951
The Constitution and By-Laws were drafted, and the word “executives” was omitted, creating the Alberta Recreation Association (ARA) which was the official founding of what is now known as the Alberta Recreation and Parks Association
ARPA advocated for the establishment of the Bachelor of Arts in Recreation Leadership at the University of Alberta, which was established in 1962.
1960
1968
Name formally changed to the Alberta Recreation and Parks Association with its principal object being “The stimulation and advancement of Recreation and Parks services, programs, and development in the Province of Alberta.”
ARPA advocated for the establishment of the Bachelor of Arts in Recreation Leadership at the University of Alberta, which was established in 1962.
1960
1968
Name formally changed to the Alberta Recreation and Parks Association with its principal object being “The stimulation and advancement of Recreation and Parks services, programs, and development in the Province of Alberta.”
Studied the availability of adequate recreation grant funds to smaller municipalities and advocated for more effective distribution of grant funds which led to the Project Cooperation and Major Cultural Recreation Facility Development program (1973-1984)
1970
1979
ARPA hired its first full-time Executive Director and signed a joint membership agreement with the Canadian Parks and Recreation Association (CPRA)
ARPA members helped lead the work on what is known as the Benefits of Recreation Movement with the publication of the Benefits Catalogue and the Awareness into Action resources.
1992
2001
Celebration of ARPA’s 50th Anniversary with the Legends Dinner and Golf Tournament in Sherwood Park. The Recreation for Life Foundation was established to help ARPA with its fund and friend raising efforts.
ARPA takes over coordination of the Communities ChooseWell Challenge which continues today now known as Communities ChooseWell.
2006
2008
Secured its largest multi-year grant ($4.5 Million) from the Alberta Rural Development Fund for the Active Creative Engaged (ACE) Communities initiative
National Recreation Summit planned and co-hosted with the Government of Alberta in Lake Louise.
2011
2015
ARPA begins its Indigenous reconciliation journey that continues today with the Walking with Indigenous Communities Action Map guiding our way forward.
ARPA celebrates its 75th Anniversary with the theme of Legacy in Action: Celebrating 75 Years of Community, Connection, and Collaboration
2026
75 Stories for 75 Years
Recreation for Life
Over the Decades 75 Stories ARPA Archives #3 – Recreation for Life, and a Lifetime A Reflection on the Recreation for Life Foundation (2001 – 2026) By Iheoma Uzomba Looking back, it’s hard not to see the story of the Recreation for Life Foundation (RFLF) as a…
ARPA’s Executive Directors
Over the Decades 75 Stories ARPA Archives #2 – ARPA’s Executive Directors By Iheoma Uzomba Every association has a president, but the executive director is a little different. Think of them as the person with their hands on the steering wheel, keeping the day-to-day…
The ARPA Origin Story
Over the Decades 75 Stories ARPA Archives #1 – The ARPA Origin Story By Candy Lannan “At various times, it has been suggested that we convene a meeting for Executives engaged in public recreation in Alberta and thus provide an opportunity for them to meet and discuss…
ARPA 75th Anniversary Raffle is NOW OPEN!
This is your chance to help shape the next 75 years of recreation and parks, and you could WIN an incredible prize along the way.