This study traces the development of community recreation in Edmonton from the time of the initiation of the community leagues to the present, and concludes with an evaluation of their present and possible future status. It is particularly pertinent because of the long history of community recreation in Edmonton and because the Edmonton Recreation Commission is probably the strongest public recreation agency in western Canada. The growth of the community league movement and of the Federation of Community Leagues are traced. The establishment of the Edmonton Recreation Commission, the resulting conflict with the Federation, and emerging relationship are discussed. Prom the study of Edmonton and its agencies serving the recreation needs of the people, the next logical step in organization for recreation in the city is indicated. The suggestions made for the future are based on accepted principles of professional community organization but the application of these principles is predicated on a clear interpretation of past and existing relationships between community agencies. One principle peculiarly applicable in Edmonton is that whenever possible the public recreation programme should be operated through only one organization in each community. Because of the varied nature of recreation an organization with a broad objective is best suited to this function but at the same time the functions of other agencies must be clearly defined to avoid duplication of effort. The suggested community reorganization for recreation in Edmonton is an example of co-ordinating recreation agencies within a city and redefining their areas of concern. The problem is not peculiar to Edmonton, and the suggested reorganization is not necessarily applicable elsewhere. There are, however, methods and principles indicated that should be generally applicable to similar situations. Primary source material has been used wherever possible including newspaper articles, minutes of community league meetings, the constitution of the- Federation of Community Leagues, personal interviews and personal experiences. In addition reference has been made to leading professional authorities in the field of community organization for recreation, and to pamphlets and booklets issued by national and international agencies in the field. / Arts, Faculty of / Social Work, School of / Graduate

It is becoming apparent that some issues in natural resource management do not lend themselves to the technical, 'value-neutral' approach to decision-making that has often characterized this function of government. One of these issues is outdoor recreation, which has become a resource use equally important to such traditional uses as water management, mineral extraction, and forest harvesting. Choices made with respect to recreational use of natural resources inevitably reflect the perceptions and priorities of those individuals who participate in making the choices. Resource managers who make decisions about the use of natural resources in the 'public interest’ must seek to optimize, that is, to choose that alternative course of action which yields the greatest net benefits to society. This study purports to assess how well the Provincial Parks agency of the Province of Alberta generates information which can lead to optimal decisions in recreation resource management. A discussion of the growing importance of outdoor recreational use of resources, and of the public nature of outdoor recreation opportunities provided by government agencies, precedes a brief analysis of a number of decision models. The latter analysis suggests that the generation of information about alternative choices is an important determinant of the outcome of the decision-making process. Accordingly, a number of criteria are proposed which will permit an evaluation of the provincial parks agency's approach to providing information for decisions regarding the management of outdoor recreation resources in the province. The provincial parks agency is described in terms of its administrative environment, its evolution since 1952, and the operation of the information generation process in the agency. Contextual information on the attitudes of provincial residents towards outdoor recreation is drawn from a survey of outdoor recreation behavior and perceptions carried out in the Peace River region of Alberta in 1972. The study concludes with the evaluation of the agency's operation in terms of the criteria proposed earlier in the study. For those aspects of information generation in which the criteria are not met, suggestions for improvement are offered. These include the definition, through public discussion, of the agency's role in providing a range of outdoor recreational opportunities for residents of, and visitors to, the province. Secondly, it is suggested that the scope of the agency's planning process should be expanded so that the provision of outdoor recreational opportunities can be considered a problem of supply as well as demand; information about the benefits and costs of alternative uses of recreational resources, and the benefits and costs of using resources that are suitable for recreation for other purposes, would be generated if such an approach was adopted. Finally, it is suggested that, in order to adequately reflect the full range of societal values in its decision process, the agency should institute a program of consultation with the public, whereby citizens would participate in decisions regarding such matters as general policy direction and major parks projects. The attachment of a permanent public advisory committee to the office of the Minister responsible for provincial parks is suggested as a medium through which Albertans may participate in planning their provincial parks. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate

Irrigation infrastructure provides many ecosystem service (ES) benefits that enhance the well-being of Albertans and is central to economic activity in southern Alberta. Management of irrigation infrastructure and water resources is becoming increasingly challenging as Alberta’s population and economy grows. Past water allocation decisions have not generally considered the need of ecosystems leading to declining ecosystem health, and changes to provision of ES benefits in Alberta. The goals of current Alberta government policy include changing how water and land is managed to ensure that ecosystem health and ES provision is maintained. The research in this thesis concentrates on establishing the value of recreational ES benefits provided by the Chestermere Lake Reservoir, and obtaining information on the spatial aspects and visitor characteristics. A mixed method approach is used combining a qualitative discussion with a quantitative analysis using a geographic information system (GIS) and the travel cost method (TCM). The selection of the mixed method and combined GIS-TCM approach was based on past success in previous studies. The findings reveal a substantial value for recreational ES benefits provided by the Chestermere Lake Reservoir occurring within a limited area similar to other studies of recreational benefits from reservoirs. The findings of this research provide information for decisions makers, water infrastructure managers, and water transfer participants when assessing the impact of planned actions. Further research is recommended to build upon the findings of this study and further expand the available information on ES benefits to include all ES provided by southern Alberta. / x, 125 leaves : col. ill. ; 29 cm