Celebrated annually in June, Recreation Month is dedicated to reinstating the importance of actively participating in recreation throughout various communities in the province. It is a fun and exciting way to celebrate recreation and promote its many benefits to individuals, families and communities.

To help you and your organization/community celebrate in June, Recreation NL has developed promotional items, social media challenges and resources.

Resources: Please find all promotional materials here.

Have your municipal council officially proclaim June 2026 as Recreation Month. Here you will find a sample Recreation Month Proclamation.

Whether you plan to organize special events or highlight existing activities, contact us and we will promote it through our website and social media sites (please tag Rec NL in all of your posts!).

St. John’s, NL – Retired Recreation Newfoundland and Labrador Executive Director, Gary Milley, has been named the recipient of the Canadian Parks and Recreation Association (CPRA) President’s Award of Distinction and the Premier’s Medal for Arts, Heritage, Sport and Recreation.

Both awards recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to the parks and recreation sector at the local, provincial, and national levels across Canada.

Gary Milley’s lifelong dedication to recreation and community development spans more than four decades. His leadership and volunteer involvement have helped shape recreation, wellness, and physical activity initiatives throughout Newfoundland and Labrador and across the country.

Highlights of Gary Milley’s Contributions

• Began his community leadership journey with the Boys and Girls Club in 1968
• Served as President of the provincial Boys and Girls Club Board and on the National Board of Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada
• Founding member and long-serving Chair of Tidy Towns of Newfoundland and Labrador
• Held leadership roles with Recreation Newfoundland and Labrador, including Regional Director and Treasurer
• Served on numerous provincial and national wellness and recreation committees and advisory networks
• Played a key role in developing Newfoundland and Labrador’s first Recreation and Sport Strategy (2007)
• Supported recreation leadership education through the College of the North Atlantic Community Recreation Leadership Program
• Received honorary membership from Recreation Newfoundland and Labrador for 40 years of service

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“For more than four decades, Gary Milley has demonstrated exemplary leadership and an enduring commitment to recreation, wellness, and community development at the local, provincial, and national levels. He is well-deserving of both prestigious awards,” said Jerry Knee, President of Recreation Newfoundland and Labrador.

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Media Contact

Pamela Sheppard
Communications Specialist
Recreation Newfoundland and Labrador
PamelaSheppard@recreationnl.com

Annual General Meeting- In Person and Virtual
Location: Jag Hotel- 115 George St. West, St. John’s, NL
Date: May 5, 2026
Time: 1:00pm-3:00pm

Registration Link: https://recreationnl.wildapricot.org/event-6625804

RECREATION NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR INC. operating as Recreation NL will hold its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Tuesday, May 5, 2026 from 1:00pm-3:00pm (NDT) at The Jag Hotel. Members will have the option to attend the AGM through in-person or through a live stream (stream details will be provided at a later date to those registered). For those attending in-person, check-in will begin at 12:30pm from The Jag Hotel Lobby.

2026 Board of Directors- Available Positions and Election Information

Recreation NL will host its 2026 Board of Directors Elections during each upcoming RNL Connects Regional Meeting.

In accordance with the Recreation NL Constitution (2025), the following positions are available for nomination and election:

Director at Large- Eastern
Director at Large- Western
Director at Large- Central
Director at Large- Labrador

Nomination Period

For those interested in serving as a Director at Large (Regional) on the Recreation NL Board of Directors, the nomination period is now officially open. Individuals wishing to be considered, must be nominated by completing the following nomination form.

Nominations will be accepted until Friday, April 10 at 4:00 PM. Completed nomination forms can be submitted the following ways:

In-Person: Recreation NL Office- 1296A Kenmount Road, Paradise
Mail: Recreation NL, 1296A Kenmount Road, Paradise, NL A1L1N3
E-Mail: info@recreationnl.com

In accordance with Recreation NL By-Laws and Constitution, any members seeking nomination after this deadline will be required to be nominated from the floor at their respective RNL Connects Regional Meeting.

Recreation NL Connects Regional Meeting Details and Registration

To register for a Rec NL Connects Regional Meeting please click HERE.

Questions- If you have any questions regarding the upcoming election of Regional Directors please contact the Rec NL Executive Director by emailing stevemartin@recreationl.com

Recreation NL Election Locations

Find all Election Locations and further information about the Rec NL Regional Connects Meetings HERE.

Hosted by the City of Corner Brook
Location: Marina Redmond Centre, Corner Brook, NL
Dates: Thursday, March 19 and Friday, March 20
Cost: $125 – Recreation NL Member and $200 – Non-member
Link to registration: https://recreationnl.wildapricot.org/Events

Hotel info: The Glynmill Inn
Call 1-800-563-4400 and book under the “Aquatic Leadership Symposium” to get the Rec NL room rate of $139 +tax & fees per room per night. (cut-off date March 6, 2026)

Program Information & Schedule

Recreation NL is currently accepting applications for Active for Life.

Workshop to take place Thursday, November 20 at Paul Reynolds Community Centre, 35 Carrick Dr, St. John’s

To apply please submit the application by Friday, November 7  

Application Form

What is Active for Life?

Active for Life is a physical activity program to reduce falls risk in older adults. This program outlines a program of balance and strength exercises that have been shown to reduce fall risk in older adults.

Active for Life Leaders complete a 7 hour of in-class instructional workshop, and have hands-on experience in program delivery to be qualified to lead this program.

Learn more about Active For Life

For more information contact:

Pam Mills – pammills@recreationnl.com

Dates: September 18 and 19, 2025

Location: Manuels River Community Centre, Town of Conception Bay South

Emcee: Dr. Katie Wadden

Cost: Free

The Active Living Leadership Network is pleased to offer you the 2025 ALL IN! Event at no cost.

This is your annual opportunity to connect and collaborate with others from across the province, who are passionate and striving to enhance Active Living for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.

The goal of the Leadership Network structure is to enhance Active Living within the province through coordination and collaboration across sectors. The Network approach facilitates the opportunity for all Active Living resources, communication and services to be connected, supported and leveraged to their utmost ability.

The Network consists of individuals  from groups and organizations who are passionate about Active Living and improving the quality of life of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.

The Network facilitates the opportunity for community partners and governments to collectively work together on Active Living. This supports the Well Being NL framework to increase quality of life. As well as, Let’s Get Moving: A Common Vision for increasing Physical Activity and Reducing Sedentary Living in Canada, that states it is only through coordination and collaboration across sectors and orders of government that physical activity can be increased and sedentary living reduced at the population level.

Your organization must be a member of the Active Living Leadership Network to register for this event. To become a member please complete the following form (one per organization, no fee)  https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sv/CjY0RX4/ActiveLivingLeadershipNet

Full schedule and presenter bios

Schedule at a glance

Friday Workshop

Registration: https://recreationnl.wildapricot.org/Events

Please note, when registering you must select which workshop you will be attending Friday morning. Therefore, each participant must complete their own registration form.

Recreation Month was created to draw public attention to the important benefits and values of recreation to individuals, families and communities. The primary goal of Recreation Month is to raise awareness around recreation and its many benefits.

Recreation is all of the activities that bring happiness and wellness to your life – improving the health of our body, mind, and soul.

Stay tuned to our social media platforms throughout the month of June for fun activities, contests and much more!

Need a sample municipal proclamation? Find it HERE.

Find all other Recreation Month information HERE.

Annual General Meeting & Conference

This year’s AGM and Conference Agenda will consist of Keynote Speaker Brad Gushue, informative workshops, social events, business meetings, and more. The 2025 AGM & Conference will be held in the Town of Grand Falls-Windsor on April 29 – May 1, 2025.

Detailed information, including full conference schedule and registration links can be found HERE.

St. John’s, NL – Recreation NL has raised the bar on what recreation is in this province! During June is Recreation Month, Recreation NL launched a year-long campaign focusing on the body, mind, and soul and the benefits that come from making ‘you’ time. Recreation NL is pleased with the success of this campaign so far and hopes that with the help of this campaign, Newfoundlanders and Labradorians will learn more about recreation.

Recreation NL partnered with community members who serve as wellness ambassadors throughout the year as they showcase the different recreational activities they offer or are found in their region. With a notable 396,000 impressions through social media, the success of this campaign has hit larger numbers than anticipated!

These clips can be found in social media content, paid advertising, and other marketing opportunities throughout the year to promote the wide variety of recreation and wellness activities within the province.

“As part of this program, we wanted to see anything and everything – hiking treks, knitting groups, gardening, music lessons, craft corners, cooking classes, and beyond! Anything that keeps people happy and healthy – That’s Recreation! Showcasing the wellness activities that our recreation members are doing, helps others better understand what recreation really is. We are pleased to see the uptake in social media response to this campaign; the numbers speak for themselves!” says Recreation NL President, Jerry Knee.

Be sure to follow Recreation NL on Facebook, Instagram and X throughout the year to learn more about recreation with our team of ambassadors.

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St. John’s, NL – Recreation NL is once again raising the bar on what recreation is in this province! By launching a year-long campaign that focuses on the body, mind, and soul benefits that come from making ‘you’ time, Recreation NL hopes that with the help of province-wide wellness ambassador program, Newfoundlanders and Labradorians will learn more about recreation.

Recreation NL has partnered with community members who will serve as wellness ambassadors throughout the year as they showcase the different recreational activities they offer or are found in their region.

These clips can be found in social media content, paid advertising, and other marketing opportunities throughout the year to promote the wide variety of recreation and wellness activities within the province.

“As part of this program, we wanted to see anything and everything – hiking treks, knitting groups, gardening, music lessons, craft corners, cooking classes, and beyond! Anything that keeps people happy and healthy – That’s Recreation! Showcasing the wellness activities that our recreation members are doing, can help others better understand what recreation really is. It’s also fitting that we launched this campaign within Recreation Month.” says Recreation NL President, Jerry Knee.

Be sure to follow Recreation NL on Facebook, Instagram and X throughout the year to learn more about recreation with our team of ambassadors.

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About Recreation NL: A not-for-profit organization established in 1971 to promote the values and benefits of recreation. Recreation Newfoundland and Labrador envisions a province of engaged communities where all people embrace the benefits of recreation to enhance their quality of life.

Media Contact: Pamela Sheppard – Communications Coordinator for Recreation NL, communication@recreationnl.com