Parks Canada: Elk Island National Park

3/18/2026 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM

This tour offers conference delegates an exclusive, behind-the-scenes experience at Elk Island National Park. Guided by Parks Canada staff, participants will tour the Plains Bison Handling Facility and, along the way, will learn about the history of bison, how they affect the prairie landscape around them, and how Parks staff herd these magnificent wild animals as a tool to connect visitors to Canada’s bison story and Parks Canada’s ongoing role in bison conservation efforts. 

This unique tour highlights the challenges and opportunities of managing a national park located on the doorstep of a growing metropolitan region. Through firsthand observation and expert interpretation, this tour will connect visitors to Canada’s bison conservation story while demonstrating the critical role urban-adjacent national parks play in environmental stewardship, education, and sustainable coexistence between people and wildlife.

William Hawrelak Park Reimagined: Achieving Equity and Resilience in the Urban Core

3/18/2026 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM

William Hawrelak Park, a treasured 65 hectare river valley park in the heart of Edmonton's urban core has recently completed a three-year, transformative, $130 million rehabilitation project. This onsite tour provides an examination of the completed project, a case study in adapting to a changing world. We will walk the newly designed shared pathways and four-season facilities to examine how the City integrated equity and accessibility principles, upheld the historical preservation of its mid-century modern structures, and implemented modern sustainable practices to enhance water quality and ecological stewardship. 

Participants will:

• Discuss the political and financial strategies required to execute a multi-year modernization project within a sensitive park setting

• Evaluate techniques for integrating equity, accessibility and year round functionality into planning and design

• Identify best practices for historical preservation while simultaneously implementing critical improvements

• Discuss strategies for balancing high demand visitor use and environmental protection

Calgary's Beltline Neighbourhood: Building Interwoven Urban Open Space Networks

3/19/2026 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Urban parks and spaces link communities to nature, culture, and each other. The Beltline Parks and Public Realm Playbook demonstrates how a One Park philosophy, treating parks and streets as a unified network, can create accessible, adaptive, and engaging open spaces. This session explores the integration of a park-like public realm and interwoven green and vibrant experiences to address the diverse needs of dense urban communities. Attendees will see how strategic investment types (prototypes, pilots, interim, and permanent improvements) can support experimentation while ensuring long-term, high-impact outcomes. Case studies highlight temporary parklets, food and recreation amenities, streetscape upgrades, and permanent park investments, showing how incremental interventions contribute to cohesive networks. Participants will explore how green experiences (that support exercising, dog walking, relaxing, etc.), hybrid experiences (social gathering, eating, and recreating), and vibrant experiences (exploring, creating and people watching) are layered and interconnected to different amenities, conditions and design elements to enhance the urban fabric. The session emphasizes leveraging community engagement, partnerships, and adaptive strategies to integrate public art, storytelling, heritage, and cultural resources into equitable open space planning. This presentation equips urban planners, park designers, and municipal staff with strategies to create resilient, inclusive, and multifunctional open spaces. By framing Beltline's network as a living example, participants will learn how to design and implement urban parks that foster connections across social, environmental, and cultural dimensions creating a truly One Park approach for contemporary cities.

How Municipalities and Partners can Leverage the Green Municipal Fund’s Opportunities and Resources to Expand Their Tree Canopies

3/19/2026 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Launched in 2024, the Green Municipal Fund’s Growing Canada’s Community Canopies (GCCC) initiative helps municipalities and their partners plant the right trees in the right places—enhancing local ecosystems while delivering social and environmental benefits, and mitigating climate impacts like flooding, extreme heat, and wildfires.

This session highlights funding opportunities for Tree Planting and Urban Forestry Plans and Studies, outlines eligible projects with related costs, and showcases successful GCCC-funded initiatives. These efforts build local resilience through strategic tree canopy expansion, thoughtful planning, and sustainable management. Participants will also learn about available supports—from planting plan templates and urban forestry coaching to webinars and workshops—while discovering how collaborative partnerships strengthen project design and implementation.

Bridging Communities: The Story of the Amisk Wâciw Âsokan (Beaver Hills Bridge) and the 100-km Amisk Wacîw Mêskanaw Trail

3/19/2026 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM

The Amisk Wâciw Âsokan (Beaver Hills Bridge) is the newest and most symbolic link in North America's largest urban river valley park system - connecting communities, landscapes, and generations. Completed in 2025, the bridge spans the North Saskatchewan River between Edmonton and Strathcona County, creating continuous access along 75 km of the proposed 100-km Amisk Wacîw Mêskanaw (Beaver Hill Road) regional trail. The remaining 25-km segment, extending southwest to connect Devon and Edmonton, represents the final step toward a fully connected regional greenway through six municipalities. This presentation shares the story of how the bridge and the broader trail came to life: a two-decade collaboration among municipalities, the Province of Alberta, the Government of Canada, and Indigenous partners led by the River Valley Alliance. Through images, short video clips, and storytelling, presenters will illustrate how collective vision, intergovernmental cooperation, and respect for Indigenous language and culture shaped a project that is meaningful, useful and beautiful. Participants will gain insight into how long-term collaboration can overcome jurisdictional boundaries, advance reconciliation, and create inclusive spaces that reconnect people to nature in an ever-evolving urban landscape. The session will explore lessons in partnership governance, community and Indigenous engagement, and sustainable trail and infrastructure design - offering a practical model for other regions seeking to build connected, resilient, and community-driven park systems that stand the test of time.

The Playbook for Inclusive Playgrounds

3/19/2026 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM

Playgrounds are important sites of play, physical activity, and social opportunities for children. They can be showpieces of our communities, but they are also often places where children with disabilities experience exclusion. Globally, an estimated 240 million children experience disability, yet many playgrounds remain largely inaccessible. With intentional planning for inclusion, we can create playgrounds that foster welcoming, belonging, and play for children of all abilities and their families. In this session we will explore the research based resource "Creating Inclusive Playgrounds: A Playbook of Considerations and Strategies"; this resource provides detailed 'how-to' guidance for designers, municipalities, and community groups. We will unpack the playbook's holistic framework, designed to address the entire user experience. This approach is structured around four critical questions: "How do we start?" (community engagement), "Can I get there?" (accessible pathways and routes), "Can I play?" (quality play through physical, sensory, and social components), and "Can I stay?" (crucial accessible amenities like washrooms, shade, and seating). Learn evidence-based strategies to enhance social and physical inclusion in play and parks for your community!

Connecting Park Systems: The ultimate experience

3/19/2026 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Urban Connections: how park systems can support each other and support outdoor recreation and conservation to ensure users get to experience and enjoy natural spaces.

Urban Wildlife & Indigenous Land-Based Learning

3/19/2026 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Tour the Strathcona Wilderness Centre for a session in urban wildlife management and a guided visit to our Indigenous Land-Based Learning space. Discover practical tools, cultural insights, and collaborative approaches that support healthy and sustainable park ecosystems.

Accessibility and Age-Friendly Park Development

3/20/2026 8:30 AM - 9:30 AM

This session focuses on the importance of designing parks that meet the needs of all users, regardless of age or ability. Using principles of universal design, the presentation will highlight practical strategies for creating inclusive, comfortable spaces for older adults and individuals with mobility or sensory challenges. Examples will include accessible pathways, seating with support, shaded rest areas, and intuitive wayfinding systems. Attention will also be given to safety, lighting, and the social benefits of intergenerational design. By prioritizing inclusivity from the outset, municipalities can build parks that promote community connection and equitable access.

Using Air Quality Data to Support Healthy Outdoor Recreation

3/20/2026 8:30 AM - 9:30 AM

As Alberta’s urban environments continue to evolve, air quality has become an increasingly important factor in how people safely enjoy outdoor spaces. This presentation explores how real-time air monitoring data and the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) can empower park users, recreation planners, and program leaders to make informed decisions, whether they're scheduling children’s outdoor activities, planning public events, or managing year-round recreation in dynamic conditions. Participants will learn how Alberta’s Airsheds monitor and share local air quality data, what the AQHI really means for day-to-day decision-making, and how parks and recreation professionals can incorporate this information into operations, planning, and public education. The session will also show how Airsheds can support parks systems through partnerships, community outreach, and tools that enhance inclusivity, safety, and resilience in a changing urban environment. Aligned with the Forum’s theme Urban Connections: Parks in a Changing World, this presentation highlights how air quality awareness strengthens community well-being, supports adaptive park design and programming, and helps ensure that everyone can enjoy outdoor spaces safely and confidently.