President’s Message

TJ Biemans SPRA President

As I read the March 2021 issue of DIRECTION, I can’t help but think about the term “placemaking”. Though the concept of placemaking has been around for a long time, the word hasn’t entered the public vocabulary until recently, possibly due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the pressures it has posed to community spaces. According to the Project for Public Spaces, placemaking “capitalizes on a local community’s assets, inspiration and potential, with the intention of creating public spaces that promote people’s health, happiness and wellbeing”. To me, placemaking is the physical

expression of community development, which is at the heart of what we do in parks and recreation.

Placemaking is about strengthening the connection between people and the places we share. The concept acknowledges that health and wellbeing are directly impacted by where we live and the opportunities that are available for us to come together. To see examples of great placemaking at work, you need only turn the pages of this magazine. In this issue, we’re celebrating the 2020 Communities in Bloom and SPRA RECognition Award winners. Between these pages, you’ll read stories about inspiring groups and individuals that care deeply about their community’s health, happiness and wellbeing, and the places and spaces that support them.

In addition to beautifying high traffic areas, the 2020 Communities in Bloom Award winners have reclaimed former industrial spaces to build a new central gathering place for their town, preserved natural heritage areas and protected precious wildlife habitat, and built cross-sectoral partnerships to deliver community enhancement projects to the delight of the young and old. The 2020 SPRA RECognition Award winners have volunteered countless hours and raised millions of dollars to build trails, facilities, programs and more so citizens have places to go and activities to engage in to nurture their physical and mental health. In one of the hardest years we’ve experienced in recent memory, these Award winners have found ways to contribute meaningfully to the quality of life in their communities.

Congratulations to all the Award winners profiled in this issue of DIRECTION. We couldn’t be more proud to publicly acknowledge your contributions to our industry and our province. Placemaking, much like community building, is an ongoing process; it is never finished. Thankfully, we have a committed network of volunteers and professionals stepping up to train and mentor the next generation of community placemakers. As we begin to see the light at the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, I’m hopeful for the future of not just our industry, but also our communities. ■