Words We Use glossary

Aboriginal Sport Circle is the national voice in sport, fitness, culture and recreation pursuits for the Aboriginal peoples in Canada with organizations in the provinces and territories including Indigenous Sports Circle Northwest Territories (ISCNWT) and Yukon Aboriginal Sport Circle.

Accessibility refers to characteristics of the physical environment that make it possible for people to participate in recreation regardless of ability.

Accessible means, no matter what a person’s circumstances or abilities are, there is equal opportunity to fully participate.

Active living is an approach to life that values and includes physical activity in everyday living. The goal is to look for ways to be active at work, school, at home, and during leisure time.

Active living is not the same as an exercise program. Active living means making physical activity part of everyday life, whether you are taking the stairs instead of the elevator, participating in a standing or walking meeting, biking to work, doing yoga at lunch, gardening, taking the kids or dog to the park, walking to the other building at your facility, or swimming laps in the pool.

Source: CCOHS: Active Living At Work

Active transportation refers to any form of human-powered transportation, such as walking, cycling, using a wheelchair, in-line skating or skateboarding.

From a planning perspective, activities are things you do like advertising, workshops, or training to carry out the project.

Annual Budgets are the estimated revenues and expenditures of all the recreation programs and services over a year.

Arts reflect culture and are a way of communicating through a medium that can be shared with others. 

Benefits are the individual, social, economic, and environmental outcomes that recreation, parks, sports, fitness, active living, arts and cultural services have the potential to provide for individuals and communities. 

Source: 2.2 Benefits of Recreation and Leisure Programs – Program-Planning in Recreation

In 1990, the first “Benefits Catalogue” was developed to convince political decision makers that recreation, parks and culture services provide significant personal, social, environmental and economic impacts.  

In 1992, Parks and Recreation Ontario, in partnership with Canadian Parks and Recreation Association, produced 8 Benefits of Recreation.

In 1997, the second Benefits Catalogue organized eight key outcome messages, supported by a total of 44 benefit statements, and backed by solid evidence.

The Benefits Catalogue evolved into the National Benefits Hub providing evidence for 50 outcomes statements about the benefits of recreation, the trends impacting benefits, and emerging promising practices.

In 2017, the National Benefits Hub was archived with the closure of the Leisure Information Network.

Today, efforts to quantify the benefits can be found in Measuring the Impact of SPAR, an initiative of the Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute (CFLRI) and the Canadian Parks and Recreation Association (CPRA). 

Benefits of Recreation is a term used in our field to recognize that recreation contributes to positive personal, social, environmental and economic outcomes. 

The Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines combine physical activity and sedentary behaviour guidelines and include sleep, showing the important interrelationship between all three behaviours.

The 2025-2035 Canadian Sport Policy guides and inspires everyone to work together to create sport environments that focus on people, reflect shared values, and enhance the health and culture of Canada and its communities.

Updated September 2025

Capital Budget is a budget for building, and in some cases maintaining, a permanent facility, structure, space or large piece of equipment.

Capital Expenses refer to costs for building or establishing a permanent facility, structure, space or equipment.

Community Building in recreation settings is focused on supporting and empowering people to build relationships and a culture that enriches lives, promotes active and healthy lifestyles, and provides opportunities for individual and community growth.

Community Capacity is a combination of a community’s commitment, resources, and skills. It takes leadership and effort to incrementally influence community capacity. Strengthening community capacity builds skills and relationships that foster health and well-being.

A Community Recreation Plan connects to local government plans, reflects community values and interests, gives consideration to the available resources, and answers three questions: Where are we now? Where would we like to be? How are we going to get there? A plan prioritizes actions based on the current state of recreation and a practical vision of the future and justifies the investment of resources into recreation infrastructure, services and programs.

Community-Driven Recreation recognizes that people, parents, teens, coaches, and volunteers are the informal leaders who make recreation happen; activities are meaningful and accessible when they are created by the community for its own benefit.

Cultural Activities reflect local heritage, social traditions and popular trends.  

With a Direct Program Delivery approach, recreation staff choose and offer the programs, events, or initiatives they think are best for community members. Making these choices relevant requires a good understanding of the local community interests, environment, and resources.

The World Health Organization explains 'empowerment' as a process through which people "gain control over the factors and decisions that shape their live" Control is gained by increasing assets and attributes, and building "capacities to gain access, partners, networks and/or a voice."

Features are characteristics (the 'what') of your recreation product, program, service or event (time, location, duration, cost, staff, etc.). 

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is a lifelong disability resulting from exposure to alcohol before birth.

The Framework for Recreation in Canada (2015) is the national guiding document for public recreation providers in Canada.

An updated was produced in 2024 to reflect the significant changes that took place over almost a decade. The Framework is currently (in 2025) undergoing renewal.

Source: Framework for Recreation in Canada - Canadian Parks & Recreation Association

Goals are broad strategies that are often written to be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely. Goals help to achieve a vision.

In-kind contributions are donations of time, supplies, facility space, etc. that are not cash. This type of contribution is important because it shows community support and it reduces the need for cash revenues to cover program costs.

Inbound Marketing helps your organization or community “get found” by people who want your products and services.

Inclusive refers to recreation programs and services that are open and welcoming to people of all abilities, ages, gender and means. When recreation is inclusive, everyone feels they belong and can contribute.

Indigenous Peoples is a collective noun for First Nations, Inuit, and Metis. 

Indigenous Corporate Training Inc. suggest, that regardless of terminology, “always go with what people are calling themselves”. 

Inputs are the resources invested into a project such as staff, funding, materials, or supplies. This term is used in planning and in logic models.

Leisure includes the activities, pursuits or actions people choose to do in their time away from work and other responsibilities.

Leisure Education is helping people understand what recreation/leisure is, how they can benefit from participating, and teaching them how to find and get involved in leisure activities that are enjoyable and contribute to positive health.

In 1995, the Leisure Information Network (LIN) was established as a national non-profit organization. Its mission was to support knowledge exchange among recreation, sport, and healthy living practitioners in Canada.

In the early 2000s, LIN began hosting the National Recreation Database (NRDB), a repository of “grey literature” and practical resources for recreation professionals.

By the mid-2000s, LIN added the National Benefits Hub which compiled evidence-based resources on the social, economic, and health benefits of recreation.

LIN (the Leisure Information Network) officially shut down on September 30, 2017 after more than twenty years of service to the recreation and leisure sector in Canada.

Leisure Literacy is the outcome of leisure education. Individuals develop knowledge and skills, taking responsibility for the meaningful use of leisure time in ways that positively impact themselves as well as their community. 

Marketing involves determining the value of your recreation product or service and communicating that information to customers. 

The Measuring Impact of SPAR initiative provides innovative new research, tools and resources that demonstrate the multifaceted impact and value of the sport, physical activity and recreation (SPAR) sector.

Measuring Impact is an initiative of the Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute (CFLRI) and the Canadian Parks and Recreation Association (CPRA).

A mission statement describes what an agency does, for whom, and how it does it.

The National Benefits Hub, hosted by the Leisure Information Network, evolved from the first and second Benefits Catalogues. 

Until 2017, the National Benefits Hub provided evidence for 50 outcomes statements about the benefits of recreation, the trends impacting benefits, and emerging promising practices.

Key contributions of the Benefits Hub included:

• Evidence-based advocacy tools for recreation professionals.
• Support for policy development and community planning.
• Help quantifying the impact of recreation on health, social cohesion, and economic development.

Sources:

• appendixa-historyoftheparksrecreationandculturalsector.pdf
• 1.3 Enhancing Wellbeing – Working in Play – Exploring the Recreation and Leisure Industry

In planning, objectives are usually more specific actions or ways to achieve the goals. However, the goals and objectives are sometimes used interchangeably.

Operating budgets project or predict the amount of revenue and the anticipated expenses related to operating a facility and running a recreation department’s programs and services.

Operating Expenses are the expenses related to running a facility and delivering programs and services.

Outbound Marketing involves pushing out information to the public and may be considered an intrusion.

Outcomes are short or long-term changes that are expected from the project such as changes in knowledge, awareness, behaviour, and skills. Outcomes are usually positive (the benefits of recreation), but can also be negative (a chronic condition).

Outputs are produced through the project or from activities you do. This term is used in planning and in logic models.

Parks are outdoor environments developed for recreation purposes. 

The Common Vision for increasing physical activity and reducing sedentary living in Canada: Let’s Get Moving, released in May 2018, is a national policy document that intends to guide the country towards ways of increasing physical activity and reducing sedentary living.

Physical literacy is the ability of an individual to move with competence and confidence in a wide variety of physical activities in multiple environments that benefit the healthy development of the whole person.

Play is freely chosen and self-directed mental or physical activity that is undertaken for enjoyment and that is separate in some way from “real” life. (Framework for Recreation in Canada)

Playgrounds are outdoor spaces set aside for recreation and play. Most contain play equipment and are designed in a specific way to draw out structured and unstructured play.

A Program is an organized and structured activity that occurs regularly and is scheduled (e.g. swimming lessons, hockey games, or a sewing club).

Program budgets estimate the costs to run a program (e.g. a 10-week arts and crafts program) and the anticipated revenues. 

Program expenses are all the costs involved in developing and delivering a program (e.g. instructor wages, materials, rental of space, etc.).

Program revenue is the money generated from running a program (e.g. registration fees).

Promotion refers to activities that publicize or encourage awareness of a program, cause, organization, etc. Examples could include a brochure, free sample, poster, public service announcement, personal appearance, etc. 

Qualitative information is associated with feelings, thoughts, and behaviors. This type of data is captured through conversations, photos, interviews, and stories.

Quantitative data is information that can be counted and measured (e.g. number of participants, dollars collected, etc.). 

Recreation is the experience that results from freely chosen participation in physical, social, intellectual, creative and spiritual pursuits that enhance individual and community wellbeing. (Framework for Recreation in Canada)

Local recreation boards may be formed to help provide a structure for the delivery of recreation in a community. The power and authority that a board has depends on its relationships with other organizations or governments who may have a mandate for recreation. 

Recreation leaders are staff and volunteers who fill roles as recreation directors and programmers, coaches, fitness leaders, board members, after school and youth program leaders, special events volunteers, and activity instructors.

Recreation Places refers to facilities and community infrastructure. They provide opportunities to participate in recreation and leisure including community halls, recreation complexes, arenas and pools, libraries, schools, museums, art galleries, private gyms, etc. 

Revenue can include government grants, grants from nonprofit organizations, municipal taxes, membership and program fees, cash donations, money earned through fundraising events, etc.

Social capital is the value that comes from social networks, or groupings of people, which allow individuals to achieve things they couldn't on their own (University of Minnesota). 

For more information, try Robert Putnam's Social Capital Primer.

Social Determinants of Health refer to a range of social and economic factors that positively and negatively influence people’s health (e.g. family income, race, employment, education, housing, etc.).

Source: Social determinants of health and health inequalities - Canada.ca

Social Marketing is about trying to change people's attitudes and behaviors for their benefit.

Societies are nonprofit organizations registered under an Act either territorially or federally.

A Special Event is a one-time occurrence of an occasional recreation activity or celebration (e.g. Kiki Karnival). Special events are often associated with holidays, seasons or sporting events.

Sport is a type of physical activity with rules and is often considered a contest to determine a winner. In recreational sport, the emphasis is more on participation and the development of fundamental movement and sport skills. 

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) was set up as a component of the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement. The TRC's mandate was to inform all Canadians about what happened in Indian Residential Schools (IRS) by documenting the truth of survivors, families, communities and anyone personally affected by the IRS experience.

The 94 TRC Calls to Action are for all Canadians; 5 of these are specifically directed towards sports and reconciliation.

In Yukon, unincorporated communities are small communities that are not municipalities. Unincorporated communities are not governed by Yukon’s Municipal Act and therefore do not have authority over taxation, bylaw making, land use, etc. A Local Advisory Council advises on development while public infrastructure is supported by Yukon Government’s Department of Community Services.

Values explain what is fundamentally important (e.g. inclusion, lifelong learning) and guide decisions and behaviours.

Vision, in a plan, describes a future in which people's hopes and dreams are reflected.

Wellbeing refers to the presence of the highest possible quality of life in its full breadth of expression, focused on but not necessarily exclusive to: good living standards, robust health, a sustainable environment, vital communities, an educated populace, balanced time use, high levels of democratic participation, and access to and participation in recreation and culture.