Activation
Data
Stories
Activation
71%
of Canadians said that parks have had a positive impact on their social wellbeing during the pandemic.
50%
of cities reported having a community park group program in place and the same amount said they had a policy in place to waive park permit fees for financial need.
81%
of cities reported having a community grant program in place that can be used for parks.
79%
of park groups said that despite a challenging year, their work contributed to a sense of belonging in their communities.
89%
of Canadians said they tried a new activity in parks during the pandemic, such as more regular walks, visiting natural areas, socializing with friends/family, and eating meals.
50%
of Canadians said their winter park use increased during COVID-19 compared to past seasons. Of this group, nearly three-quarters expect that their higher park use will continue or increase further in post-pandemic winter seasons.
51%
of Canadians said they wanted to see increased access to winter recreation activities in parks and 57% of Canadians said they wanted to see more winterized washrooms in parks.
76%
of Canadians said they wanted to see more community programming in parks moving forward.
# of community park groups
The number of community park groups varies widely across cities. Three quarters of cities reported demand for this type of involvement is stable, while one quarter of cities say demand is increasing. Our survey of nearly 300 park groups across the country found these groups had delivered 3,600 events in 2020—half of which were virtual. Support for these groups varies among cities, however. Only half of cities reported having a formal park group program in place (such as an adopt-a-park program), which can offer support and networking for park volunteers.
Data not available for Montreal, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Surrey, Quebec City, and Regina.
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