Message From Our President
As we all dig out from the snow and start to make plans for the spring, I am reminded of the vast number of assets and services that parks provide. If we asked our friends or family what they think we do they would probably instantly respond with cutting grass, removing garbage, planting trees and snow removal. We all know we do so much more than that and in all that we do, we need to consider what we can do to improve the quality of life for the people, plants and animals that depend on our parks. From passive spaces to active spaces and programmed and manicured parks to natural parkland, all need to be supported and have unique maintenance requirements. As budgets get tighter and demands on us are heightened, we need to find ways to ensure we continue to provide for all these needs. The OPA is aware of the challenges that parks professionals are faced with and we are here to help advocate for you and to bring awareness to the positive impacts that parks can have on climate change, biodiversity and health and wellness. Parks are essential green infrastructure and require investment the same way that we invest in roads and water infrastructure. If we protect our green spaces now and make plans that will have a positive impact, we are collectively working towards the OPA mandate, Protecting Tomorrow Today® . In the spirit of moving forward and building our future I’d like to welcome and introduce our new office Manager Leesa Woodhouse. Leesa started with us in November and comes to us with 20 years of combined private and public sector experience including in the fields of: parks and recreation, agricultural fruit orchard management, special events, air transportation and more. She has been a wonderful addition to the team and we are all excited to work with her.
The OPA is considering another exciting move forward; currently activities are being undertaken to explore the value and feasibility of greater integration of OPA
services and programs with the Ontario Trails Council (OTC). This exploration and feasibility assessment is being undertaken by a joint OTC and OPA Amalgamation Feasibility Committee (the Committee). Parks and trails have a natural symbiotic connection and they realize mutual public and social objectives. Similarly, OTC and OPA share mutual goals and each organization has unique and varied strengths that we believe could be stronger together. OPA is embarking on this exploratory exercise with OTC for the following reasons: • Funders are increasingly requesting that charities and nonprofits and charities work together to avoid duplication, increase efficiency and improve service delivery; • The ability to share and pool resources, consolidate duplicate governance structures and combine political will and strategic thinking to effect changes in the parks and trails sector;
• The opportunity to offer broader and better services together;
• To alleviate the pressure on staff and core volunteers by pooling human resources and capacity; and • It is a natural progression of a successful long-time partnership between OTC and OPA.
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The Green Sward - Spring 2022
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