Agenda (Appointed) - Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee - 20241121Town of Aurora
Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee
Meeting Agenda
Date:Thursday, November 21, 2024
Time:7 p.m.
Location:Holland Room, Aurora Town Hall
Meetings are available to the public in person and via live stream on the Town’s YouTube channel.
To participate, please visit aurora.ca/participation.
Pages
1.Call to Order
2.Land Acknowledgement
3.Approval of the Agenda
4.Declarations of Pecuniary Interest and General Nature Thereof
5.Receipt of the Minutes
5.1 Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes of
September 19, 2024
1
That the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee meeting
minutes of September 19, 2024, be received for information.
1.
6.Delegations
7.Matters for Consideration
8.Informational Items
8.1 Memorandum from Manager, Recreation; Re: Sport Plan Refresh – Status
Update
5
That the memorandum regarding Sport Plan Refresh – Status
Update be received for information.
1.
8.2 Memorandum from Manager, Recreation; Re: Town of Aurora – High Five
Registered Municipality
9
That the memorandum regarding Town of Aurora – High Five1.
Registered Municipality be received for information.
9.New Business
10.Adjournment
Town of Aurora
Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee
Meeting Minutes
Date:
Time:
Location:
Thursday, September 19, 2024
7 p.m.
Holland Room, Aurora Town Hall
Committee Members: Councillor Ron Weese (Chair)
Bo Brkic
Irene Clement*
Michelle Dakin (Vice Chair)
Jessie Fraser*
Shaheen Moledina*
Members Absent: Adrian Martin
Corrina Tai
Other Attendees: Ishita Soneji, Deputy Town Clerk*
Lisa Warth, Manager, Recreation
Linda Bottos, Council/Committee Coordinator
*Attended electronically
1. Call to Order
The Chair called the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m.
2. Land Acknowledgement
The Committee acknowledged that the meeting took place on Anishinaabe lands,
the traditional and treaty territory of the Chippewas of Georgina Island,
recognizing the many other Nations whose presence here continues to this day,
the special relationship the Chippewas have with the lands and waters of this
territory, and that Aurora has shared responsibility for the stewardship of these
lands and waters. It was noted that Aurora is part of the treaty lands of the
Mississaugas and Chippewas, recognized through Treaty #13 and the Williams
Treaties of 1923.
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Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes
September 19, 2024 2
3. Approval of the Agenda
Moved by Michelle Dakin
Seconded by Bo Brkic
That the revised agenda as circulated by Legislative Services be approved.
Carried
4. Declarations of Pecuniary Interest and General Nature Thereof
There were no declarations of pecuniary interest under the Municipal Conflict of
Interest Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. M.50.
5. Receipt of the Minutes
5.1 Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes of May 16,
2024
Moved by Jessie Fraser
Seconded by Bo Brkic
1. That the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee meeting minutes
of May 16, 2024, be received for information.
Carried
6. Delegations
None.
7. Matters for Consideration
7.1 Memorandum from Manager, Recreation; Re: Sport Plan Refresh Project
Staff provided a brief overview of the memorandum and introduced the
project consultants, David Lynch, Partner, and Jeremy Geisler, Senior
Analyst, of Optimus SBR. The consultants presented a project overview,
noting the current phase of engagement with community and local sport
organizations, and facilitated a discussion with the Committee focused
on: the distinction between sport and recreation; current support for local
sport organizations; the potential four main pillars of the Sport Plan,
Page 2 of 11
Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes
September 19, 2024 3
ensuring a lens of diversity, equity, and inclusion; and ways to increase
participation and involvement in sports.
The Committee provided input and additional feedback included
suggestions to: organize sport fairs/drop-ins with communications in
multiple languages; revise the Sport Plan title to include “Recreation”;
extend the conversation to a more diverse audience; provide opportunities
for big sports events; work with corporate partners to provide scholarships
and funding; investigate opportunities to work with provincial bodies on
leadership and development; encourage more diversity on sports boards;
and explore options to address financial barriers to participation.
The consultants agreed to follow up on their recent distribution of a Sport
Plan survey to confirm that all community and local sport organizations
and members receive the communications to ensure a greater response.
Moved by Shaheen Moledina
Seconded by Irene Clement
1. That the memorandum regarding Sport Plan Refresh Project be
received; and
2. That the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee comments
regarding Sport Plan Refresh Project be received and referred to staff
for consideration and further action as appropriate.
Carried
8. Informational Items
8.1 Memorandum from Deputy Town Clerk; Re: 2025-2026 Citizen Member
Recruitment for Advisory Committees
Staff provided an overview of the memorandum, highlighting that current
citizen members must reapply for the second half of the Council term to
be considered for this committee or any other committee of interest. It
was noted that the application process is open as of September 19 until
November 1, 2024.
The Committee inquired about the possibility to include “Sport” in the
Committee name and Terms of Reference. Staff provided clarification
regarding the Committee’s Terms of Reference and opportunities for
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Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes
September 19, 2024 4
review, and noted the Terms of Office for citizen members according to
the Town’s Ad Hoc/Advisory Committees and Local Boards Policy.
Moved by Michelle Dakin
Seconded by Shaheen Moledina
1. That the memorandum regarding 2025-2026 Citizen Member
Recruitment for Advisory Committees be received for information.
Carried
9. New Business
None.
10. Adjournment
Moved by Bo Brkic
Seconded by Michelle Dakin
That the meeting be adjourned at 8:08 p.m.
Carried
Page 4 of 11
100 John West Way
Aurora, Ontario
L4G 6J1
(905) 727-3123
aurora.ca
Town of Aurora
Memorandum
Community Services
Re: Sport Plan Refresh – Status Update
To: Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee
From: Lisa Warth, Manager, Recreation
Date: November 21, 2024
Recommendation
1. That the memorandum regarding Sport Plan Refresh – Status Update be received for
information.
Background
Over the past several months, staff in Community Services have been working with
consultants from Optimus SBR, to refresh and update the Town’s existing Sport Plan.
An engagement plan was developed to gather information from Local Sport
Organizations (LSO’s), community organizations and the general public to gather
information on status of sport in the community from various perspectives.
Engagement activities included focus groups, interviews and surveys and research.
This memorandum provides a summary of the preliminary findings gathered through
the engagement activities.
Analysis
Who we heard from:
19 Local Sport Organizations
7 Community Partners
268 Public surveys
5 jurisdictional scans
1 staff engagement
1 Council engagement
Page 5 of 11
Sport Plan Refresh – Status Update
November 21, 2024 Page 2 of 4
What we heard:
Facility Availability and Quality
Concerns that facilities for some sports do not meet the needs or expectations
of users with respect to access and functionality
Better access in general
Program Accessibility and Affordability
Financial barriers were a recurring theme, especially among newcomers and low
income families
Affordability is a barrier to participation
The scheduling of programs and services is a barrier to some
Leadership Development and Volunteer Support
Concerns over sustainability of volunteer base for many organizations
A need for leadership training particularly for underrepresented groups
A need for coach’s training
High satisfaction with the Town’s current role in providing leadership and support
for sport programs
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI)
DEI issues were mentioned frequently with a focus on cultural sensitivity in
programming
75% of survey respondents felt the sports landscape was fostering diversity,
equity and inclusion
There are language barriers and a need for multilingual marketing materials
Communication and Booking Systems
Challenges with the existing booking system (outdated)
Better communication in general about sport events and programs is needed
Multilingual communication may assist some community members in accessing
sports programming
Page 6 of 11
Sport Plan Refresh – Status Update
November 21, 2024 Page 3 of 4
Sport Tourism and Community Engagement
There are opportunities to expand sport tourism, but some limitations due to
facilities
Enhanced community partnerships could help promote sport tourism and
community events
Sponsorships and partnering with national and international organizations would
help grow sport tourism
SWOT Analysis
Strengths
Strong community support for sport programs
Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
Engaged community
Positive momentum regarding the Town’s leadership in Sports
Weaknesses
Barriers to participation
Volunteer burnout
Limited leadership development
Challenges associated with administrative support for LSO’s
Facility availability and access
Opportunities
Increased sport tourism
Expansion of inclusive programs
Leadership and volunteer training
Promotion of multilingual and culturally sensitive programming
Upgrading of facilities
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Sport Plan Refresh – Status Update
November 21, 2024 Page 4 of 4
Threats
Volunteer fatigue and attrition
Economic barriers
Competition for hosting events
As this project progresses, this information will be used to develop actions and an
implementation plan to update the existing Sport Plan. This updated plan is scheduled
to be presented to Council early in the new year and staff will follow up with the Parks
and Recreation Advisory committee at that time.
Attachments
None
Page 8 of 11
100 John West Way
Aurora, Ontario
L4G 6J1
(905) 727-3123
aurora.ca
Town of Aurora
Memorandum
Community Services
Re: Town of Aurora – High Five Registered Municipality
To: Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee
From: Lisa Warth, Manager, Recreation
Date: November 21, 2024
Recommendation
1. That the memorandum regarding Town of Aurora – High Five Registered Municipality
be received for information.
Background
The Town of Aurora prides itself on providing quality recreation, sport and leisure
programs for all ages. The complexity of managing programs is always evolving and
numerous considerations need to go into developing and managing participant
programs with the well being, satisfaction and safety of every participant being a top
priority. The Town has always had quality standards when it comes to program planning
and delivery, however the High Five program offers benefits such as training resources,
the latest research, benchmarks, credibility and more which will assist in achieving
ongoing operational excellence.
Analysis
High Five is a national quality standard focusing on recreation and sport programs for
children ages 4 to 12 and adults 55+
High Five is a national quality standard for recreation and sport developed by Parks and
Recreation Ontario (PRO) with the support and endorsement of the Province of Ontario.
High Five was launched in 1994 with training, tools and processes that have been
continually refined with input from sport and recreation professionals as well as experts
in healthy child development, quality assurance and quantitative and qualitative
research. The High Five program is based on research and statistics.
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Town of Aurora – High Five Registered Municipality
November 21, 2024 Page 2 of 3
The foundation of the High Five program is built on five principles of healthy child
development and healthy aging essential for quality programs and three design
guidelines. These principles come from research into what constitutes quality
experiences for participants. These five principles of healthy child development and
healthy aging are:
A caring leader
The opportunity to make friends
The opportunity to play
The opportunity to master skills
The opportunity to participate
The three design guidelines that are necessary to implement the five principles are:
Programs that are welcoming of diversity and uniqueness
Programs that are safe
Programs that are developmentally appropriate
The premise of High Five is that staff are trained and coached on how to incorporate
these five principles and three design guidelines into program planning and delivery.
Evaluations are done on a regular basis to ensure adherence to the principles.
Over 500 organizations nationally are Registered or Accredited High Five organizations.
The Town’s commitment includes staff training and program evaluations
The foundation of the High Five program is the five principles of healthy child
development and healthy aging and the three design principles listed above. Training on
these principles equips staff with the knowledge and skills necessary to create and
deliver positive program experiences within the developmental abilities of specific age
groups. This can improve services and potentially reduce liabilities. This also enhances
staff skills and can assist in attracting and retaining staff resources. Training can be
completed online or in-person, accommodating diverse staff needs. High Five
recognizes the transient nature of part time staff and recommends that 75% of all staff
are trained in the principles of healthy child development and healthy aging.
Once staff have been trained on the five principles of healthy child development and
heathy aging and the three design principles, and how to incorporate them into program
planning and delivery, regular program evaluations must take place to ensure
Page 10 of 11
Town of Aurora – High Five Registered Municipality
November 21, 2024 Page 3 of 3
compliance. Training is required on how to use the evaluation tool (called a Quest 2), to
ensure evaluators know how to align the evaluation tool with the program they are
evaluating. Several full time and part time staff will be trained on using this tool.
There are opportunities for internal staff to become High Five trainers and several full-
time staff are pursuing this option. This will provide flexibility and a cost savings to the
Town, so external trainers do not always have to be secured.
An annual review of policies and procedures (called a Quest 1) is also required. This
tool examines, measures and evaluates the extent to which policies and procedures
support the principles of healthy child development and healthy aging. Training is also
required to use this tool and several full-time staff will be trained on using this tool.
The Town may consider becoming an Accredited municipality in future
After two to three years of being a Registered High Five Municipality, the Town would
have the option to move towards full Accreditation. The benefits of becoming a fully
accredited organization include:
Elevated Quality Standards where 85% of all recreation staff would be trained in
the Principles of Healthy Child Development and more frequent program
evaluations take place.
Enhanced Reputation that demonstrates a commitment to excellence, increasing
trust and credibility in the community.
Additional Resources and Support that will assist in continuous improvement and
innovation in programming.
Attachments
None
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