From Pandemic to Playbook

In March 2019, a volunteer group from across organized sports, active recreation, tourism, and economic development met to reflect on the future of sport and recreation in Calgary and the surrounding region. There was broad consensus that the existing fragmentation in the sector was not a viable path forward. A clear need emerged for a more systematic analysis of how our active economy impacts the economic, human, social and environmental prosperity of our city and region. The active economy encompasses active living, sport, recreation, physical education, physical literacy, indoor and outdoor play, health and wellness, and all other associated sectors. Today this regional active economy includes 95 per cent of the 1.5 million people living in the region, incorporating 4,000 enterprises, employing 43,000 people, and contributing $3.3 billion to the regional economy.

To activate this diverse ecosystem, we established the ActiveCITY Collective, a grassroots collaboration of volunteers engaged in Calgary’s regional active economy. In June 2019, ActiveCITY defined a goal of developing a ten-year integrated Playbook to maximize the active economy’s direct impact on Calgary’s economic, human, social, and environmental prosperity.

Then COVID-19 changed everything.

The impact of COVID-19 on all aspects of society cannot be understated. The pandemic continues to have seismic economic, human and social costs to our city and region. This has only accelerated the urgency for an integrated master plan for our regional active economy. A master plan anchored in a strategic framework that will harmonize resources from across the commercial, social and public sectors to ensure maximum impact on our economic, human, social and environmental prosperity.

As a city, we are facing challenges unforeseen and unprecedented. It is therefore an opportune time to reflect on a renewed vision for our city and region, based on leveraging our greatest natural resource – our active economy. Below is the full Playbook 2030, the Executive Summary and the Playbook at a Glance.