Building Success Through Play

Media Release
January 18, 2017

Calgary, AB — Starting this summer, 16,000 community kids under 17 years of age will benefit from Forest Lawn Library’s Nature Playground— thanks to the Canada 150 Infrastructure Program (CIP150).

“Celebrating Canada’s 150th birthday with the creation of a nature playground is an incredible way to ensure everyone understands how foundational play is to all future learning,” says Bill Ptacek, CEO, Calgary Public Library.

Calgarians have the opportunity to help us match this generous contribution and raise the full amount needed to build this outdoor early learning centre and empower Forest Lawn families towards a brighter future.”

Safe outdoor spaces inspire active, fresh-air-filled play that supports the early learning needs of Calgary’s youngest citizens, helping them develop physical literacy skills and executive brain function, as well as learn about the world around them…putting them on the pathway to future success in school and beyond.

The CIP150 contribution of $119,000 was announced January 17 by The Honourable Kent Hehr, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence, who spoke about the role infrastructure plays in helping Canadians build better lives by learning how to care, share, and play together.

Forest Lawn Library is an oasis in this diverse community where families can face particular challenges including low literacy levels and high unemployment, creating a barrier to learning and play opportunities. Forest Lawn Library is a vibrant community hub with more than 272,000 in-person visits annually, providing hundreds of free literacy and numeracy programs each year.

The Calgary Public Library Foundation has a goal of raising $51,000 to complete the funding for this project. View the PLAY! video and for more information, or to make a donation, visit addin.ca.

Calgary Public Library

Calgary Public Library, with 570,000+ members, has been inspiring the life stories of Calgarians for more than 100 years. It is currently the second largest library system in Canada and the sixth largest municipal library system in North America, with Calgarians borrowing more than 16.1 million physical and digital items and with 6.2 million in-person visits last year. Preparations are underway for the awe-inspiring 245,000 sq. ft. New Central Library, to open in late 2018.

Add In—the Campaign for Calgary’s Library

Add In is a bold and transformational initiative of the Calgary Public Library Foundation to create the best public library in the world for Calgarians. The $350 million city-wide campaign will build capacity for each and every community library and will include projects with a strong impact for Library patrons.