Vancouver Island University hosts provincial recreation conference

The summit brings industry experts from across Canada to Nanaimo

The future of recreation in rural communities and small cities is the topic of a provincial conference happening at Vancouver Island University (VIU) November 13 and 14.

Hosted by VIU’s World Leisure Centre of Excellence, the Rural Recreation Summit features sessions by experts in risk management, leisure education, social prescribing and inclusive recreation opportunities.

Katie Fenn, CEO of the BC Parks & Recreation Association, will co-lead a session on bridging communication gaps between recreation and health care. Martin Sampson, CEO of the Canadian Parks & Recreation Association, will facilitate a consultation on the redevelopment of Canada’s National Framework on Recreation. Dr. Jackie Oncescu, an award-winning professor and advocate in recreation and sports studies, will deliver the keynote address.

Oncescu, a former Recreation and Tourism Management Professor at VIU, is dedicated to community development, social justice and dignified leisure access for all. Her work blends theory with innovative practices to reshape community recreation and sports provisions for equity-owed communities.

“Addressing inequities in community recreation and sports settings is complex and requires authentic collaborators curious about trying and learning new approaches that embrace and respect diversity,” she said. “We need provisions to focus on the process that builds authentic relationships between people so we can see the interrelatedness fundamental to belonging.”

Her keynote address and workshop will focus on findings from her research and others to identify and address exclusionary mechanisms in community sport, recreation and leisure. Using human-centered design and participatory action research, Oncescu’s current project seeks to support equity-owed residents’ sense of belonging in sport, recreation and leisure through dignified access.

“We are thrilled to welcome Jackie back to VIU for the Rural Recreation Summit,” said World Leisure Centre of Excellence Director Dr. Aggie Weighill. “Her emphasis on systems change to foster a sense of belonging and dignified access for equity-owed citizens is more critical than ever.”

For more information about the World Leisure Centre of Excellence at VIU and to register for the summit or keynote, please visit the Rural Recreation Summit homepage.