Download Return on Recreation Investment - Association of Municipalities of

Presentation to AMO
Economic Development Task Force
“The Return on the Recreation
Investment”
Howie Dayton, Director Recreation
City of Mississauga
Presentation Date: September 13, 2013
Soft Service you Say?
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Recreation is a major contributor to community health and wellbeing
There is an excellent return on local investment
Soft service or an “Essential Municipal Services supporting Quality of Place”
Focus of presentation:
o How does Recreation contribute to achieving a desirable community?
o City of Mississauga –using business planning principles to support social
capital investments
o The sector’s evolution – using evidence based research to plan and
deliver services efficiently and effectively
o The return on your investment= community engagement; active
citizens, healthier and more sustainable communities
City of Mississauga: A Place where
People choose to be
 Mississauga-an urbanizing community in transition
 Aspires to be a “Place Where People Choose To Be”
 Dynamic & beautiful global city for creativity and innovation
 Vibrant, safe & connected communities
 Celebration of a rich diversity of cultures
 Focus on the following Priorities:
 Transit oriented city
 Engaged Youth
 Active Older Adults
 Thriving newer Canadians
 Cultivating creative and innovative businesses
 Developing and sustaining livable communities
City of Mississauga: A Place where
People choose to be
 Action Plans must align and report on annual achievements in each
priority area
 Convincing elected officials to support strategic initiatives that
advance social capital priorities uses current research and thinking
 Organizationally, Community services department-specifically
Recreation Services takes the lead for many Quality of Place
priorities
 Older Adult and Youth Plan/Sport Tourism Plan/Future
Directions Recreation Master Plan….
Recreation & Resilience-Sherri Torjman, Caledon Institute on Social
Policy (2011 National Recreation Summit-Keynote Address)
 greater recognition of this quality of place
concept
 communities must pay attention to lifestyle and
cultural vibrancy to attract investment & talent
 vibrant downtowns, streetscapes and urban
context mixed with family-friendly
communities & amenities
 arts & culture, festivals & events build spirit
and volunteerism
 passive infrastructure (trails & green space)
Gina Browne – Preventative Service Framework
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Quality of Place requires Social Capital investments
Engaging marginalized communities supports quality of life
priorities
Social isolation leads to negative attitudes and community
disengagement
 Higher crime & delinquency
 Higher and sustained use of social assistance
 Higher obesity rates
 More expensive interventions
Economic benefit of investing in subsidized prevention services
demonstrated
o When The Bough Breaks, Making the Case for Youth
Recreation, Roots of Youth Violence
Policy Framework for Affordable Access to Recreation For
Ontarians Published-local momentum continues
The City of Mississauga –
Strategic Community Investments
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2009 Active Assist Policy Approved-8000 individuals and families supported to
date
Corporate Sponsorship and Grant team established with $1.2M in local
investment in community recreation, sport, arts& culture
Program Sponsorship has helped to launch universal programs including:
o Wal-mart at Play-11 community centres-free after school sports
o Enersource Got Skates-9,724 children-nine arenas-learning to skate
Future priorities will focus on core services and demographic shifts:
o Summer Playgrounds Revival
o Youth Leadership
o Inclusion Services
o Learn-to-swim
o Active Aging
Don Drummond, TD Bank’s former chief economist:
Charting a Path to Sustainable Health Care in Ontario (2010)
“Preventing illness and promoting healthy living
would almost certainly form a cornerstone of a
holistic strategy… Ultimately, the most effective
way of lowering costs in the health care system will
be to ensure that fewer people are in need of
expensive care.”
Recreation is more than swimming
& hockey…
 Recreation’s mandate has evolved
 Parks & Recreation Ontario is providing leadership to the sector to
ensure we are well positioned for the future
 PRO is mandated to work with the 3 levels of government on shared
priorities
 Structures within municipalities is changing to reflect changing
community context
 City of Mississauga’s Community Services Department: Fire,
Recreation, Libraries, Parks & Forestry, Culture
Final Thoughts: Recreation is Good
Economic Policy: What Ontarians Say
 98% of Ontarians believe that recreation and parks are
essential services that benefit their entire community
 97% of Ontario households use local Parks
 77% agree that recreation reduces crime and vandalism
(2009 Parks and Recreation Ontario Public Opinion
Survey)
The Future….
• Aging infrastructure
• Intensification and the lack of development charge funding to
support service needs
• Aging population
• Affordability and pressure to recover greater costs
• Private and public sector role needs definition in the delivery of
core recreation
• Inclusiveness & diversity
• Technology & social media platforms