ST. PAUL - A local man's dedication to what has now become a well-used addition to the community - and a reflection of seven years of hard work - has been recognized on the provincial level.
The 2021 Alberta Recreation and Parks Association and Lieutenant Governor's Leadership for Active Communities Award winners were officially released on Nov. 3, following an event that took place on Oct. 30 in Lake Louise. Included in the list of recipients was Daniel Reid, who received honourable mention in the Professional Leadership category.
Reid was one of the driving forces behind the creation of the St. Paul BMX and skate park, although he is quick to note that the project involved a number of people and was only made possible thanks to the community as a whole.
But, it's Reid's hard work that his own employers found worthy of recognition, with the County of St. Paul submitting the nomination.
County of St. Paul CAO Sheila Kitz says she circulated the award to council a while back, and Coun. Maxine Fodness was the one who thought Reid would be a good name to put forward.
"With council’s approval, I put together the nomination form and we were so excited that he was selected to receive an honourable mention," says Kitz. Reid, who is the County's Director of Public Works, was unable to attend the ceremony, but those involved are clearly proud of him.
While the County of St. Paul and Reid knew ahead of time that the nomination had been short listed, and then included in the list of award recipients, they were unable to share the news until the event was held.
Caleb Boorse, communications and events coordinator with ARPA says the honourable mention is a way of "acknowledging that what they were doing is good work.” While the nomination may not have succeeded for the actual award, the work being done is still worthy of being recognized, he adds.
Speaking specifically about Reid, Boorse says, "He took an idea... and he worked on grants, he worked with the different municipalities... in order to put his thought, his idea into place." Boorse added, “(Reid's) leadership in developing and implementing that skate park" is what stood out.
According to information included in the nomination package, "The community of St. Paul has benefited from the leadership of Daniel Reid and his associates that formed the St. Paul BMX & Skatepark Society. Through Daniel’s perseverance and vision, a project that was conceived in 2014 became a reality for (the) community in 2020."
The vision behind the skate park, which is located along 53rd Ave. in St. Paul, has a firm foundation in promoting mental and physical health for youth. It's meant to be a place for all cultures, genders and ages to gather, and have free access to recreation.
"The park’s opening in July of 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, gave the community the much-needed boost off having this new incredible activity available for the residents and neighbours of St. Paul," reads the nomination.
Since its opening, the facility has become a place where people of all ages and backgrounds gather to enjoy the sports of BMX, skateboarding and scootering.
The inspiration for the project is something that Reid has been very open about sharing. Following the loss of his brother, Michael, to suicide, Reid wanted to create a facility where youth could get away from the stress in their lives, and focus on their mental and physical health, all while building self-confidence.
Reid says it feels good to be recognized at a higher level and he was humbled when he heard about the success of the nomination. He credits both the County of St. Paul and Town of St. Paul for their support of the skate park, along with local Indigenous communities, and others who stepped up to help.
Looking to the future, Reid believes there are other projects that could help improve the community and offer even more recreation opportunities for people of all ages. Now a member of the Town of St. Paul's Recreation Board as a County of St. Paul member at large, Reid has been part of discussions around a variety of ideas - such as an outdoor ice rink, an indoor field house, and the local swimming pool.
He understands that these large-scale projects can take time, but he is also a firm believer that if people come together and do the right things, they can accomplish a lot.
Reid says he's always looking for ways to improve the community. Seeing an indoor recreation facility created in St. Paul similar to surrounding areas such as Bonnyville and Lac La Biche - but perhaps smaller in scale - would be a benefit to the community, says Reid.
He also believes the local swimming pool is going to have to be looked at carefully, as the facility is aging. And of course, an indoor skate park would also be on his list of facilities - even if it was just a smaller area to allow for people to continue to enjoy the sport during the winter months.
In the award nomination, Reid was commended for obtaining a number of grants and donations for the BMX and skate park.
"Daniel successfully garnered support of the entire community with significant community donations received from businesses, service clubs, and individuals alike. Both the County of St. Paul and the Town of St. Paul also contributed in providing dollars, land, and in-kind work. Unlike most of the projects similar to this, (the) $989,000 skate park facility was 80 per cent funded by grants and donations with only 20 per cent coming from the municipalities."
The Lieutenant Governor’s Leadership for Active Communities Awards honour the legacy of Norman Kwong’s patronage of the Alberta Active Communities initiative. Kwong was Alberta's 16th Lieutenant Governor. The awards program "recognizes the achievements of teams and individuals who demonstrate the very best of active community leadership, creating spaces and opportunities for Albertans to become active and engaged in recreation," according to the media release from ARPA.
Other award recipient's from across the province include:
Lieutenant Governor's Award Recipients
- Group Spirit of Community Leadership - Umoja Community Mosaic
- Elected Community Leader - Bill Robertson, Mayor of Okotoks
- Professional Leadership - Johnny Byrne
- Honourable Mention, Professional Leadership - Daniel Reid
ARPA Award Recipients
- AABRD Legacy Award – Jack James High School
- Barbara Hill Award of Merit – Shelley Kwong
- Parks Excellence Award – Parks Foundation Calgary – Flyover Park
Communities ChooseWell Award Recipients
- Community Wellness Leadership Award – Darrell Reid
- ChooseWell Champion Award – Kacey Yellowbird
