As Dave Harvey retires from his co-leadership position at Park People, he reflects on the incredible journey since founding the organization in 2011.
Why are events in parks important? How do grants fit into Park People’s larger goals for creating change in city parks?
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.
Here are some valuable tips to create a welcoming, safe, and respectful environment for participants of all abilities, backgrounds, ages, and gender identities!
Watch our special launch webinar with the Report's authors to get the inside scoop on our findings.
How the City of Charlottetown’s experience with Hurricane Fiona demonstrates the importance of cross-departmental partnerships and resilient infrastructure to mitigate the impact of extreme winds.
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By donating to Park People, you’ll support vibrant parks for everyone.
The health of people, cities, and our environment depends on us standing up for parks.
We need each other. When neighbours are able to meet in public spaces, it creates more inclusive and connected cities for everyone. In a time of increasing social distrust and isolation, these relationships have never been more important.
Our cities must be climate resilient. As cities experience more extreme weather events, the greenery in parks helps to clean the air, keep us cool, preserve ecosystems, and absorb the stormwater that can overwhelm our infrastructure. Parks also serve as spaces for us to connect to nature, ecology, and sustainability and learn to value and protect our environment.
Our health and wellbeing depend on it. Parks have been shown to reduce cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer in people who use them regularly. They also help alleviate mental health conditions and improve our memory, attention and cognition.
When our urban parks are allowed to stagnate, so does the wellbeing of the people, plants, and animals who rely on them. With your support, we can champion great city parks for everyone.
0%
of Canadians live in cities
of urban Canadians say spending time in parks makes them happier
of urban Canadians aren’t connected to a park or green space in their community
In 2021, Statistics Canada found that more than 40 per cent of Canadians feel lonely some or all of the time. As with most health conditions, people who are already marginalized—such as racialized communities, LGBTQ2S+, and the elderly—find themselves at higher risk.
Parks can serve as a powerful force for connection and alleviate our national loneliness crisis. From providing a place for people to gather, to offering recreational opportunities that can support our bodies and minds, investing in parks is an investment in the health and wellbeing of whole communities.
“Volunteering in the park is meaningful to me because I like helping the environment. It gives me a sense of purpose, community, and a better outlook on my life. This was especially helpful for me when I was on EI.”
Stanley Park Ecology Centre Steward, Vancouver
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.
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.
Climate change is increasingly causing extreme weather events in our cities. This sobering new reality is impacting how we grow food, how we get around, and how we build our homes.
Yet city parks can help us to mitigate these harmful impacts. For example, park vegetation can help pull carbon from the air, reduce temperatures during heat waves, and soak up excess rainfall to avoid floods during extreme weather events.
To provide these important climate benefits, we must change how we plan, design, and maintain green spaces—everything from how we design parks to the environmental educational programs that they host. Park People works closely with our community of changemakers to ensure that climate considerations are centred in decisions around park planning.
“Global warming is a scary reality that, at times, makes me feel overwhelmed and demoralized. These are the times I seek out my garbage-picker and hoop-bag. When you hold a full bag of garbage and feel its absence from the surrounding nature; it feels good, like hope.”
Participant, Humber River Pals
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.
Alexandre Beaudoin discusses the socio-ecological approach that guides the Darlington Ecological Corridor in Montreal.
Not everyone experiences parks in the same way. In our 2021 City Parks report, we reported that Black, Indigenous, and a people of colour were far more likely to report that concerns about policing, ticketing, and social judgment prevented them from visiting parks as much as they’d like.
Canadian data also shows that lower-income and more racialized neighbourhoods have less access to green space. Many of these neighbourhoods are listed as urban heat islands, where the lack of green space translates into higher temperatures. During extreme heat events, this inequity can have fatal consequences.
Social equity is a key value in all our work at Park People. Our programs support the leadership of equity-deserving communities to ensure that their needs and desires are centred, and our research and advocacy support municipalities to make the connections between our identities and our experiences in urban spaces.
What it really means to invite communities into nature – a conversation with Camara Chambers from Let’s Hike T.O.
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.
Join our programs to make your park more vibrant and your neighbourhood stronger.