There are some days that are really rewarding in this role- especially when long-term work is translating into seeing real outcomes for residents. That’s why I’m proud to see the City moving forward with the new Equitable Recreation Programming Plan, called UP-Lift.
This plan came to be as a result of multiple sustained actions. During my first term, I pushed for an extensive audit into inclusive and equitable recreation programming at the City of Edmonton. Later, I brought forward a second motion to ensure that those findings and recommendations would come back to council with a clear plan for action.
Because recreation matters- It matters in the everyday moments that shape our quality of life as Edmontonians.
It’s swimming lessons.
Drop-in basketball.
Seniors staying active.
Kids finding confidence through sports.
Families accessing after school programs.
It’s everyday people feeling a sense of belonging when they walk into a facility.
These are tangible things that impact our experiences as we age and our lives change. But right now, that experience isn’t equitable for everyone. We should not be leaving people behind when it comes to accessing those opportunities.
In 2025 alone, Edmonton saw more than 550,000 hours of bookings across sports facilities, arenas, picnic sites, aquatic facilities, and gyms in addition to countless hours of programming and drop-in activities. These spaces are heavily used and deeply important to our quality of life.
The reality is that for many Edmontonians, barriers still exist. Cost, transportation, accessibility needs, language, cultural inclusion, and even simply understanding how to register for programming can easily prevent people from participating. UP-Lift creates a city-wide standard that makes recreation more accessible, inclusive and responsive to the needs of Edmontonians. We’re moving forwards, and building a model that puts public benefit at the heart of the plan - identifying clear community needs and opportunities for equitable access.
Some residents and organizations may have questions about what these changes could mean for bookings moving forward as we shift from the current model which gives preference to historical bookings. I’m keen to see the focus on the broader public benefit through these changes. To me, this is exactly the kind of work local government should be doing, so that recreation serves a broad public good.
We can make life just a little bit better for Edmontonians, and I am so glad to see this through.
Let’s work together to UP-Lift one another and make recreation more inclusive and accessible to as many people as we can.
Erin.
