We launched our inaugural community survey in English and Arabic, to help us understand the challenges families face when trying to stay active or use local parks and community spaces. We received ten responses from families with different backgrounds and needs. Half of them have one child and half have two, and 70% moved to Canada within the past 2–10 years, reflecting the experiences of recently arrived newcomers.

We also learned that transportation access varies: half of families have reliable transportation and half do not. Many rely on cars (60%) and buses (60%), with smaller numbers using taxi/Uber (20%) or having more than one vehicle (20%).

The survey result revealed that the highest‑ranked concerns, scoring 4 out of 5, were the lack of activities for parents and the lack of basic facilities, such as seating and washrooms. Families shared that while children often have places to play, parents rarely have anything designed for them — no comfortable spots to sit, rest, or participate. For many families, this makes outings less enjoyable and discourages them from staying active together.

Weather came next with a score of 3.6, showing that seasonal conditions strongly influence how often families use parks. Right behind it was the need for age‑appropriate programming (3.3), highlighting the challenge for families with children of different ages who cannot all participate in the same activities.

Some barriers were ranked lower but still matter: long distance (2.8), lack of transportation (2.7), and high cost (2.1). Families also mentioned specific concerns such as bugs, poor washroom hygiene, and safety issues, all of which affect comfort and participation.

Overall, these results show that while logistical issues like distance and cost play a role, families are most impacted by the availability of parent activities, suitable facilities, and safe, comfortable environments.

Here’s What Our Children Think

Alongside the survey, we also heard directly from children through short interview questions.
Their answers give us insight into what makes activity spaces fun, comfortable, or challenging for them.

We asked simple prompts like:

• “I’d like to go to the park… more or less… if…”
• “Would you want to go to the park more if your friends were there?”
• “Does playing with friends make you want to stay active longer?”

Their responses help us understand what encourages curiosity, movement, and joy — and what gets in the way.