Parks and Recreation Master Plan developmentWhat is the future of recreation in Ottawa? The City of Ottawa is in the process of developing a new set of principles and strategies to guide the delivery of recreation services for the next 10 to 20 years. After extensive public consultation, the City of Ottawa has updated the principles and strategies that will guide the delivery of parks and recreation services for the next 10 to 15 years. Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services would like to thank everyone who took the time to provide their feedback. The next step in the Parks and Recreation Master Plan process is to lay out what needs to be done in order to incorporate the principles and strategic recommendations into every day recreation operations and services. An implementation plan should be available for review and input by June 2010. Back in May, the City released a series of three white papers, each one putting forward information about how recreation services are provided and the challenges in meeting the demands of the future. Three white papers were made available to residents online and in print from May 14 to August 28, 2009. Residents were invited to provide feedback to the questions found throughout each of the white papers:
Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services would like to thank everyone who has already provided feedback for their time and dedication. Information from your input has been gathered and presented to CPS via the report and outlines response from both residents and City staff. Council adopted the report on December 9, 2009. A final strategic direction will be presented to City Council for consideration and approval early next year. Please check back for more information on the progress and implementation of the Parks and Recreation Master Plan. Related LinkWhy a master plan?Ottawa residents are fortunate to have many different opportunities to be active thanks to services provided by the City, the National Capital Commission, the school boards, colleges and universities, and other recreation service providers. Together these organizations provide a significant infrastructure of pathways, parks, green space and facilities. The City of Ottawa provides many programs and services directly and supports others through its partnerships with community associations, sport groups and other like-minded organizations. Over the last few years, the City has made progress in growing and harmonizing citywide recreation services however some fundamental questions remain unanswered. In particular, if the City is to fully take advantage of the benefits of recreation, how should it finance and deliver recreation services in the future and for whom? A master plan will assist the City to answer these fundamental questions. It will provide guidance where there are no legislative requirements and develop solutions to some of the gaps in service delivery experienced by the City since amalgamation in 2001. Feedback from the three white papers will provide the basic framework for the development of the Parks and Recreation Master Plan. These results will give City Council and staff the tools to make consistent and fiscally responsible decisions in providing recreation services. Recreation is a fundamental service that provides social and economic benefits to the community while reducing long term health care, social service, police and justice costs. It is widely accepted that physical activity – taking a walk, riding a bike, dancing, swimming or playing- makes you feel better and can improve your health. Some interesting facts about Ottawa that will affect the Parks and Recreation Master Plan include:
Key factors influencing the role of the City in providing recreation services include:
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