ORFA Aging Recreation Infrastructure Symposium

The Ontario Recreation Facilities Association (ORFA) is pleased to announce that registration is now open for the upcoming Aging Recreation Infrastructure Symposium that is taking place as a hybrid event October 6-8, 2025 at the Pan Am Centre, in Markham, Ontario.

We look forward to you joining us at this timely event focused on raising awareness of the looming recreation facility crisis.

REGISTER NOW

SESSIONS

• Keynote: Building Accessible Facilities to Meet Every Athletes Needs
• A 50-year Review of Recreation Infrastructure Lifecycle
• Understanding Recreation Structural Integrity Roles and Responsibilities
• Historical Designation Roles and Responsibilities
• Evaluating the Risks of Aging Infrastructure through an Insurance lens
• Lessons Learned: Municipality of Trent Hills Project – A Decade from Start to Finish
• Building for Climate Resilience & Sustainability
• We Are Not Alone: A Peek at Our Neighbours Experiences
• The City of Elliot Lake – A Real Time Aging Infrastructure Experience
• FCM Infrastructure and Advocacy Update
• Ontario’s Municipal Government Priorities: Facilities Infrastructure in Context
• How to Make the Case that Our Facility needs Adequate Funding
• Aging Infrastructure – The Science of Quality Data Collection
• Case Study: Asset Retirement Obligations – Reviewing the Experiences of Other Communities
• Case Study: Carleton Place – To Repair or Replace an Aging Aquatic Facility
• Case Study: Aging Outdoor Pools
• A Look at Opportunities in Aging Post Secondary Recreational Infrastructure
• Open Ice Project
• The Role of Asset Manafement in Addressing Aging Recreation Infrastructure
• Asset Management Tools and Solutions
• Dealing with the “NIMBY’s” in Community Developments
• The Benefit of Properly Staffing the Next Generation of Recreation Facilities
• Funding Opportunities for Recreation
• Funding the Dream - Applying Basic Business Principles to Managing and Operating Recreation Facilities
• Facility Retrofit Experiences: What Needs to Be Considered?

SPEAKERS

Andrew Jeanes, Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism •. Brad Putnam, Ontario Recreation Facilities Association •. Calvin Barrett, Municipal Finance Officers' Association of Ontario •. Chris Lawless, Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism •. Chris Mckenna, Alberta Association of Recreation Facility Personnel •. Christine Tekker, Infrastructure Ontario •. Craig Reid, Association of Municipalities of Ontario •. Eddy Migue, City of Markham •. Frank Cain, University of Guelph- Dept. of Athletics •. Graeme Hawkins, 360 Engineering & Environmental Consulting Ltd. •. Ian Storey, I.B. Storey Inc. •. Jeff Adams, •. Jeff Theiler, U.S. Ice Rinks Association •. Jennie Greencorn, Recreation Facility Association of NS •. Jennifer Court, Asset Management Ontario (AMONTario) •. Jeremy Heersink, Poolside by CGT •. Jessica Jaremchuk, Intact Public Entities •. Kari Kluke, City of Elliot Lake •. Kim Gavine, Parks and Recreation Ontario •. Lauri Lidstone, FCM •. Lindsey MacIntosh, Future of Hockey Lab •. Matt Allen, Curling Ontario •. Peter Burnett, The Municipality of Trent Hills •. Robert Heggie, MLSE •. Ron Landry, Ministry of Labour Immigration Training and Skills Development •. Ross Rankin, Town of Carleton Place •. Sarah Ane, Parks and Recreation Ontario •. Sarah Hubble, Canoe Procurement Group of Canada •. Steve Hardie, Town of Saugeen Shores •. Ted Watson, MJMA Architecture & Design •. Terry Piche, Ontario Recreation Facilities Association •. Tracy Eso, Intact Public Entities •. Werner Schwar, City of Thunder Bay •. Zack Tarantino, Marmak (RFAM / SUB-ZERO