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, 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.
Metro Vancouver seniors receive training and support to organize fun park activities, fostering social connections and physical activity among elders in their local parks and green spaces.
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.
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.
Come together with community members, park professionals, and municipal staff at the 2025 Toronto Park Summit!
By donating to Park People, you’ll support vibrant parks for everyone.
Over the past few years, the Montreal Park People Network has created a real impulse within Montreal’s French-speaking community, promoting community engagement in urban parks. The program Connecter les ami·es francophones des parcs canadiens [Connecting Francophone Community Park Groups] aims to spread this dynamic among francophone groups and organizations working in parks across Canada.
Coordinated by the Urban Ecology Center*, in partnership with Park People, the program aims to build strong links between community park groups, empower them, promote knowledge sharing and spread these initiatives nationally.
Benefits:
Toronto is lucky to have one of the largest ravine networks in the world. Representing 17% of the city’s total area, these lush green spaces connect a diverse group of cultures and communities. They’re also a fragile resource, home to countless species of animals, plants, and insects.InTO the Ravines creates opportunities for Torontonians to come together to explore the ravines, learn about their social and ecological benefits, and champion their preservation.Park People partners with the City of Toronto to ensure that communities experience, celebrate and protect our one-of-a-kind ravine system. Together, we provide:
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of participants report feeling greater connection to nature and living things
of event attendees report they would be more to visit the ravines after the event
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ravine sites animated to date
InTO the Ravines prioritizes people from equity-deserving communities, especially those that face barriers to accessing the ravines. By equipping local leaders with the tools they need to create accessible event, we’re helping them to introduce their communities to the many benefits of the ravines.
Urban parks offer countless benefits to our physical and mental health, to our sense of community, and to our environment. But these benefits aren’t shared equally — Racialized and low-income people face barriers to accessing urban parks, such as inadequate park infrastructure and discrimination in public spaces.
The Sparking Change program in Toronto supports equity-deserving community groups to transform their parks into powerful engines of community development.
We connect grassroots groups to opportunities for training, professional networks, seed funding, and one-on-one coaching to help them activate their parks and offer programming that addresses barriers and meets their communities’ needs.
community leaders trained to date
people connected to their local park
of participants report being better connected to their community
For people living in cities, public parks are vital sites of connection. They’re spaces for meeting our neighbours, engaging with nature, and mitigating the harmful impacts of climate change. But large urban parks also face unique challenges, often requiring more resources for maintenance, operations, and programming.
Park People created the Cornerstone Parks program to support and connect the organizations working in large urban parks across Canada. We’re the only national network dedicated to ensuring that these park leaders can access resources, learn from one another, and maximize the impact and influence of their important work.
Here’s what we’re up to:
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volunteers engaged in stewardship restoration
of participants say their mental health is improved from stewardship activities
m2 of invasive species removed
Stanley Park in Vancouver
High Park in Toronto
Mount Royal Park in Montreal
Champlain Heights Trail system in Vancouver
Everett Crowley Park in Vancouver
Blue Mountain – Birch Cove Lakes, Sandy Lake, Backlands / Williams Lake in Halifax
Darlington Ecological Corridor in Montreal
South Saskatchewan River Valley in Saskatoon
North Saskatchewan River Valley in Edmonton
Edwards Gardens and Botanical Garden in Toronto
Park People and our Cornerstone partners are seeking to better understand the link between parks and health. Our groundbreaking research shows that park stewardship has tremendous benefits for our mental and physical health, for our sense of social connection, and for our overall well-being.
Park People partners with the Toronto Arts Foundation to help deliver its signature Arts in the Parks program.Arts in the Parks brings free, family-friendly arts events and activities to parks outside Toronto’s downtown core. Offerings include theatre performance, music concerts, film screenings and workshops for children, families, and neighbours.
Park People helps to facilitate strong relationships between artists and community park groups in green spaces across the city, and we support outreach efforts to our network of over 3,500 park enthusiasts.
urban parks animated with dynamic activities in Toronto
artist-produced events in parks
participants in neighbourhoods across the city
Find all of Arts in the Parks events here: www.artsintheparksto.org