Background Information

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The delivery of sport in Edmonton has been influenced by several factors throughout the years. There have been a number of policies which have affected or made reference to sport delivery at the national, provincial, and local levels. As well, many sport organizations have played a large part in the delivery of sporting opportunities.

The municipality has developed several strategies, such as the arena strategy and the joint use agreement, and has assisted in the delivery of several meetings of sport groups, known as Intersports.

This section provides some basic information on these subjects.

National Influences:

The first National Fitness and Amateur Sport Act was enacted in 1961. In 1968, the appointment of the first National Task Force on Amateur Sport in Canada heralded a period of dramatic organizational growth in the sport delivery system that continued throughout the 70’s. In 1988, under the direction of Jean Charest, Minister of State for Fitness and Amateur Sport, a report, called “Toward 2000: Building Canada’s Sport System” was prepared by the Task Force on National Sport Policy which recommended several actions for the 1988-92 timeframe.

In the wake of the Dubin Report (Report of the Commission of Inquiry into the Use of Drugs and Other Banned Practices Intended to Increase Athletic Performance) released in June 1990, another Ministerial Task Force was established in January 1991. Its job was to examine the purpose and place of sport in society, the underlying values and ethics that should shape its conduct, the roles and responsibilities of the national sports governing bodies and the federal government’s future role in sport policy and programs. Its findings and recommendations were published in 1992 in a document titled “Sport: The Way Ahead”. One of the main recommendations concerned community centred sport where key community partners in sport meet to co-ordinate all their resources and to jointly develop a plan for sport. The suggested timeframe for implementation was ten years.

The impact of these recommendations has been felt at all three levels of government. Funding to certain sports has been reduced or eliminated, and the responsibilities for sport development have been shifted to sport governing bodies, provincial sport organizations or municipal partners.

Provincial Influences:

In the early 1970’s, it became apparent that there was a need for effective communication and co-operation among members of the sport community in Alberta. Beginning in 1975, a series of Intersport forums were held to provide an opportunity for representatives of the sport community to come together to exchange ideas and discuss common interests and concerns. 

In 1983, in response to requests from the sport community, Alberta Recreation and Parks prepared a Sport Development Policy. This document outlined the Department’s plans for sport delivery and co-ordination for the 1984-89 period. One of the outcomes was the establishment of the Alberta Sport Council, which began operation on April 1, 1984. This policy identified the following set of beliefs and guiding principles:

1. Sport for All
2. Access to All Levels
3. Self-determination
4. Central Focus on Participants
5. Shared Responsibility
6. Partnership and Mutual Respect
7. A Systems Approach
8. Effective and Efficient System
9. High Quality Service
10. Importance of Volunteers

In the mid-1980’s, the Olympic Game Plan was developed. This was a program initiated by the provincial government to increase the number of Albertans participating in the winter Olympics. This was influenced by the 1988 Winter Olympics that were held in Calgary. Funding was made available for facilities, equipment, training, and introductory level programs.  With the assistance of the Alberta Sport Council, this was a very successful project.

In 1988, a review process was undertaken to evaluate the Sport Development Policy and to identify directions for the 1989-94 period. The updated Sport Development Strategy built upon the existing strategy and identified nine strategic areas with priorities. These included:

1. Funding
2. Technical Leadership
3. Sport Participation
4. Excellence in Sport
5. Communication, Co-ordination, & Liaison
6. Sport Recognition
7. Organizational Development
8. Hosting Sport Events
9. Facility Development

The plan also included a description of the roles of the various partners in sport delivery. The role of municipalities was:

“To co-ordinate sport programs and services at the local level. They also support local institutions and groups, promote active participation in sport, and provide and operate community sport facilities with assistance from Alberta Recreation and Parks.”

Each municipality determines the level of support considered appropriate for its municipality, based upon its aims, ambitions and resources.”

In the early 1990’s, the Recreation and Parks Department became part of the Community Development Ministry. In July of 1994, the Alberta Sport Council was amalgamated with Recreation, Parks and Wildlife to form a new entity, the Alberta Sport, Recreation, Parks and Wildlife Foundation.

Municipal Factors:

The City of Edmonton has a legacy of sport participation that is extensive and long-standing, from the record setting Edmonton Grads Women’s Basketball team to the more recent successes of runners, swimmers, and race-walkers, to mention but a few. The City has hosted such major sporting events as the Commonwealth Games in 1978, Universiade ‘83 and the World Figure Skating Championships in 1996.

The Parks and Recreation Department, in one version or another, has been involved in sport delivery since the early 1900’s. From 1914 until 1947, Parks was a Branch of the Engineering Department. In 1947, the first Parks Department was created and assumed responsibility for parks administration. The first district recreation co-ordinators were hired in 1948. The construction and maintenance of facilities, parks, playgrounds and sports grounds was a major area of responsibility for the department, which officially became the Parks and Recreation Department in 1961. Throughout the years the development of facilities and programs has been shared with many different partners such as community leagues, service clubs and sports organizations. The department has played an ongoing role in co-ordinating services and in developing strategies and agreements to guide the use of resources.

In 1997, the Parks and Recreation Department was merged with Community and Family Services to become the new Community Services Department.

History of Edmonton Intersports:

Edmonton Parks and Recreation (now known as Community Services), the Alberta Sport Council and more recently the Alberta Sport, Recreation, Parks and Wildlife Foundation have hosted eight local Intersports from 1986 to 1996. The Intersports were very useful for the local sport community for several reasons:

Each year the sport community received an update on Alberta Sport Council initiatives as well as other provincial and municipal initiatives. This led to an increased understanding within the sport community of the sport delivery system and of the opportunities available.

• Discussion sessions resulted in a great deal of sharing of information between the various sports in the City.
• Information generated from the discussions was used to provide direction for the resolution to a number of issues facing sport in the community both at the club level and the municipal level.
• They provided a vehicle to bring the sport community together that ultimately led to the formation of the Edmonton Sport Federation.
• Information generated from the discussions provided the basis for input into the provincial government’s review of their sport policy/strategy.
• The Edmonton Sport Federation was incorporated in 1990. This volunteer- based group was formed to represent the interests of amateur sport groups in the city.

Representatives from the City Wide Resources Section of the Community Services Department met with representatives from the Edmonton Sport Federation on March 13, 1995, to discuss funding levels and trends for amateur sports. There was discussion around the joint planning of a community Sport Forum or Intersport to be used as a method to identify current issues and needs in the Edmonton sport community.

1996 Zone 6 (Edmonton) Intersport:

Edmonton Parks and Recreation Department and the Edmonton Sport Federation organized an Intersport that took place on April 23, 1996.

Every sport and community group within Edmonton Parks and Recreation Department’s database was invited. A total of 67 people attended this Intersport. The purpose of the Intersport was to engage the Edmonton Sport Community in a dialogue to reveal common issues or concerns. These issues were then posted for everyone to peruse. Delegates decided which group or area they wished to work with, to develop responses to the particular identified issue.

The identified issues were the following: 

1. Mechanism required for creating political pressure
2. How to build and maintain a strong volunteer base.
3. Sources of funding, i.e. grants, corporate, lotteries etc.
4. Support for bids for provincial, national and international competitions.
5. Support for non-competitive recreation activities.
6. How sport and recreation associations can work together – regional cooperation.
7. Facility rentals.
8. Home Base projects.
9. Ways to increase physical activity for girls and women.
10. Environmental concerns-activities that use places like the river valley.
11. Athlete recognition through the media, schools, etc.

Progress reports were sent back to the sport community via newsletter once again co-ordinated by Parks and Recreation. All of the work and information that was obtained from the Intersport was mailed to each of the delegates as well as every sport contact in the database that was not represented. At this time, an open invitation was made to anyone wanting to join one or more of these groups. A commitment was made to organize another Intersport to occur in one year’s time to measure and evaluate the progress made by each group.

Some issues identified through these Intersport symposiums were addressed by Community Services, while others were tackled through joint working committees. Unfortunately, not all issues raised could be dealt with or worked on for a variety of reasons. The need for a co-ordinated plan and the resources to implement it continued.

Existing agreements, strategies and programs:

A number of different agreements, strategies and programs have been developed over the years which address specific issues in certain areas of sport delivery in Edmonton. 

1992-2002 Arena Strategy: The purpose of this strategy is to provide long-term direction for the City of Edmonton. Specifically, this strategy contains a total of 29 recommendations addressing the construction of new arenas, operation, priorities for ice allocation, booking procedures and ice fees. The strategy contains provisions for an annual review.

Total Quality Fields- A Strategy for the Future of Edmonton’s Sports Fields: This strategy addresses the way Parks and Recreation delivers its services on sports fields and how the department works with organized users and the school boards. The strategy provides a framework and a commitment to ongoing review.

1991-1996 Aquatic Strategy: The purpose of this strategy was to establish Edmonton Parks and Recreation’s position and strategy regarding the provision of aquatic services over this five year period. The strategy provides a framework upon which funding decisions for aquatic facilities can be evaluated, established and justified.

A Strategy For The Future- Outdoor Pools in Edmonton: The purpose of this strategy is to identify long term costs associated with using outdoor pools as stand-alone swimming facilities, to detail the feasibility of redeveloping one or more of the five sites with complementary uses and to identify costs associated with closing, securing and ultimately removing these facilities.

Home Base Program: This is a collaborative program between community sport organizations and Edmonton Parks and Recreation that provides a variety of opportunities for sports groups to participate in the development and operation of sport fields for their members’ benefit.

Joint Use Agreement: The Joint Use Agreement is between the City and the Public and Catholic School Boards whereby each party agrees to share facilities for the common benefits of the citizens of Edmonton. The City provides land, planning, design and maintenance of school playing fields as well as free access to swimming pools and arenas. In return, the schools allow after hours community use of school facilities. Parts of this agreement are presently under review. It is anticipated that it will be fully implemented for the 98/99 booking season.

Status of the Edmonton Sport Federation:

In the early years of its existence the Edmonton Sport Federation had several successes in its attempts to increase the profile of sport in the city. In particular, the group made progress with lobbying for, and achieving, representation on the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Advisory Board. In recent years, the Federation has experienced declining membership and a lack of the necessary resources to continue operating at previous levels.