As Dave Harvey retires from his co-leadership position at Park People, he reflects on the incredible journey since founding the organization in 2011.
Each year, we support inspiring older adults in Metro Vancouver to reconnect with nature by leading events in their local parks—sparking belonging, joy, and wellness in their communities.
Discover how Arts in the Parks is transforming Toronto’s green spaces into vibrant hubs of creativity—and how Park People helps make it all possible.
How colonialism plays out in park practices and how we can work together to embed reconciliation and decolonization.
Discover ways to help you host events in your local parks during extreme heat events.
Each year, Park People Summits bring together our growing network of urban park changemakers to connect, reflect, and explore what’s possible for more inclusive, community-powered parks in our cities.
By donating to Park People, you’ll support vibrant parks for everyone.
Looking for a specific park topic? Search our comprehensive learning library.
Our library is still under construction, there’s more to come soon!
From our work to the community leaders we support in activating their local parks to the municipalities that use our insights to create better park policy, the movement continues to expand. We’re pleased to share just some of these impacts in our Impact Report.
In 2025, 72 community groups and organizations across the country are receiving TD Park People Grants. They’ll be bringing people together in parks and green spaces through creative, inclusive, and environmentally focused events.
Meet the 2025 InTO the Ravines Champions, and hear why they love and care about the ravines.
Explore inspiring community-led events funded by our microgrants program, from land-based learning to nature walks and skill-sharing workshops.
Watch our special launch webinar with the Report’s authors to get the inside scoop on our findings.
How does the City of Victoria’s Get Growing Victoria program take a food justice approach to provide gardening supplies to communities at risk of food insecurity, including those experiencing houselessness, Indigenous and racialized communities, seniors, and youth.
How partnerships across city departments and with local community groups helped the City of Charlottetown recover from Hurricane Fiona’s devastating winds.
How Nature Canada is building a web of partners at all scales to help Canada achieve its biodiversity conservation goals.
How Toronto is transforming future park spaces into temporary public areas through partnerships, letting residents enjoy them now while planning for long-term park development.
How Mississauga is expanding parkland in a growing neighborhood to meet future demand through a cooperative, long-term property purchase plan.
How a temporary plaza in Montreal’s Parc Marcelin-Wilson was created to offer a gathering space for youth, with design improvements informed by Metalude’s insights through direct observations and youth engagement.
How Waterfront Toronto is raising the bar on inclusivity through their Waterfront Accessibility Design Guidelines.
How an agreement between the Tsleil-Waututh Nation and Metro Vancouver Regional Parks provides a path for shared cultural planning.
How can municipalities move from awareness to action? A conversation with Jay Pitter about Black people’s experiences in parks and public spaces.
Today Park People launches the sixth Canadian City Parks Report–and the final iteration of this report in its current form: Bridging the Gap: How the park sector can meet today’s complex challenges through partnerships and collaboration.
Can different types of parks – with varying sizes, histories, descriptions, and designs – offer the same benefits as Canada’s historic “destination parks?
Here are some valuable tips to create a welcoming, safe, and respectful environment for participants of all abilities, backgrounds, ages, and gender identities!
Park People is thrilled to announce that Erika Nikolai will transition from Co-Executive Director to sole Executive Director, effective July 1.
Discover our new partners within our growing national network of Cornerstone Parks: the Edmonton River Valley Conservation Coalition, Toronto Botanical Garden and Ecology Action Centre.
Why are events in parks important? How do grants fit into Park People’s larger goals for creating change in city parks?
Motivated to make a difference, Geneviève envisioned a sustainable response to address hunger in her community: a living and educational agriculture ecosystem composed of three urban gardens.
Recognizing the need, and with support from Park People, VUFF envisioned a food forest as a haven for urban indigenous communities and low-income residents.
Driven by a passion to help, Nawal co-founded Flemingdon Community Support Services, a volunteer-led organization which help the community access food, housing and employment.
Explore how different sectors are currently working to meet shared urban biodiversity goals and how we can all work differently –or more collaboratively– in the future.
Watch the webinar recording to meet the report’s researchers and writers and get the inside scoop on the fifth annual report highlighting the most significant trends, issues, and practices shaping Canada’s city parks.
As the program nears its 4-year mark, Park People has recently launched the Ravine Engagement Report, highlighting its tremendous impacts on the communities it serves across the city.
It takes deliberate thinking and action to enjoy park and ravine spaces while ensuring they’re protected. How can you use ravine and park events to foster reciprocity and ensure the natural world benefits as much as the community does?
Fundraising is a great way to build the capacity of your community park group. Here’s a list of the grants and funding options for park groups located in Ontario.
Park People launches the fifth annual Canadian City Parks Report: Surfacing Solutions: How Addressing Conflict and Reframing Challenges as Opportunities Can Create More Equitable and Sustainable Parks.
As cities struggle to find and pay for new park space to meet growth needs, some argue that a shift towards focusing on quality is part of the solution.
Discover Vancouver’s ambitious parks and recreation master plan, using innovative mapping to guide equity-led parkland investment.
Brampton leads the way with its Eco Park Strategy, a citywide initiative focused on naturalization projects that preserve and enhance natural and cultural heritage.
How the City of North Vancouver is working to better engage equity-deserving groups in its longstanding Park Stewards program, including people who are underhoused, newcomers, and at-risk youth.
The Montreal’s Darlington Ecological Corridor bridges urban and natural spaces while addressing both ecological restoration and social needs through meaningful partnerships.
A look into the logistics of collaborative governance in a large urban park with Meewasin Valley Authority in Saskatoon.
Learn more about the District of Saanich’s collaborative approach to tackling conflict over off-leash dog parks.
How cities are navigating the benefits and challenges of privately owned public spaces (POPS) through creative policies and guidelines on design, stewardship, and public programming.
Restoring the Don River’s natural flow, Toronto’s renaturalization project enhances biodiversity, mitigates flooding, and reconnects the city with its waterways.
Public washrooms are a park necessity.. Discover Edmonton’s approach to creating safe, inclusive public washrooms.
Bill 23: A conversation with Michelle Dobbie, Manager Park and Natural Heritage Planning, City of Richmond Hill.
Explore the impacts of large urban parks on communities’ connectedness to nature and–by extension–their health and happiness.
Alexandre Beaudoin discusses the socio-ecological approach that guides the Darlington Ecological Corridor in Montreal.
As Toronto’s mayoral by-election approaches, we urge candidates to help build a more equitable, resilient future for city parks by supporting the ideas in this platform.
This summer, Park People welcomes new partners into the Cornerstone Parks program. Everett Crowley Park & the Champlain Height Trails. Together they hold space for nature in cities and demonstrate what’s possible for communities within large urban parks.
How Maggie is helping her community dip into and see the green spaces and ravines.
With the Park People Conference quickly approaching in June, we caught up with keynote speaker Dave Meslin. Dave is a…
Learn from community leaders and advocates, creatives, placemakers, and educators from across North America as they address the real challenges and exceptional opportunities within community consultation and impact measurement.
In her recent presentation at the 2022 Park People Conference, Akiima Price called herself a “nature-based social worker,” quickly followed…
How parks can help rebuild civic trust and engagement in the face of declining municipal participation.
What it really means to invite communities into nature – a conversation with Camara Chambers from Let’s Hike T.O.
Meet the report’s researchers and writers and get the inside scoop on the fourth annual report featuring the biggest trends, issues, and practices shaping Canada’s city parks.
Fundraising is a great way to build the capacity of your community park group. Here’s a list of the grants and funding options for park groups located in BC.
Fundraising is a great way to build the capacity of your community park group. Here’s a list of national grants and funding options for park groups.
Learn from experts with on-the-ground experiences making clean-ups inviting and engaging with lasting impact.
Urban green spaces help mitigate the impacts of climate change by reducing temperatures and lowering flood risk. However, unequal access…
Explore the barriers and opportunities for creating parks as natural places for engagement across differences.
A guide to hosting zero-waste events that leave your park clean, green, and thriving.
Park People is excited to be launching Cornerstone Parks, the first-of-its-kind national collaboration to revitalize the green infrastructure of the country’s largest urban parks and celebrate their incomparable value to overall wellbeing.
Here are 10 drizzle-friendly ideas for easy family activities, plus some guidance for parks groups looking to organize all-weather events for the public.
While large natural areas are critical, research shows that small-scale urban biodiversity projects—like pollinator gardens—are critical to healthy city ecosystems.…
Explore the relationship between public space, race, and systems of oppression in the public realm.
Explore reports, articles, toolkits, and webinars on racism and inequality in public spaces, with insights to address systemic barriers in parks and urban settings.
David MacLeod, Senior Environmental Specialist with the City of Toronto, and Carbon Conversations TO explore how ravines mitigate climate impacts and the steps we must take to protect them.
Explore how we can deepen our connection to the plants and animals of our land and ravines.
Rooted in Park People’s Canadian City Parks Report and a decade of work on park governance, we will share the latest opportunities and challenges emerging in Canada’s park partnerships.
Shawsti, a grassroots organization for Bengali seniors in Toronto, led a workshop on climate change. Here’s what they learned from the experience.
Park clean-ups bring neighbours together, foster connection, and leave a lasting impact—explore our 5-step guide to get started.
Shakeera Solomon from the Vision of Hope Resource Centre in Brampton, a recipient of a TD Park People Grant, shares valuable tips on transitioning indoor programs to the outdoors.
How did Friends of Hancock Woodlands become the “little sister” to The Riverwood Conservancy (TRC), and how did TRC’s experience…
We know we benefit when we get outside and connect with others when winter makes us feel isolated. Here are some ideas for how your group can animate parks in winter.
Instagram and TikTok are fantastic platforms for park groups to build community and spread the word about events. Here are some tips to get you started.
Learn how park groups can support reconciliation and decolonization by creating meaningful land acknowledgements.
Food is a great way to bring people together in parks! Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you plan a successful outdoor picnic.
Just getting your group started and wondering how to approach governance? This resource highlights two different groups to give you a sense of how a team-based model can work in practice.
In July 2018 and November 2018, Park People worked with the City of Toronto and over 100 volunteers to conduct…
Finding volunteers doesn’t have to feel like an uphill battle. Here are some tips to create an engaged, connected, and joyful volunteer team.
Pumpkin parades are a creative way to celebrate local creativity and give carved jack-o’-lanterns a second life. Here’s a step-by-step guide to make your pumpkin parade a smashing success.
Local newspapers, radio stations, blogs, and podcasts are always on the lookout for interesting stories. With the right hook and approach, your group can land valuable media coverage!
A picture is truly worth a thousand words. Here are some easy tips to take great pictures of your park events with your smartphone.
Vibrant parks depend on engaged volunteers -the people-power behind park events as well as park fundraising and marketing efforts. In…