Oct 07, 2025, 9:00 a.m. – Oct 09, 2025, 11:30 a.m.

Midnight Sun Recreation Complex, Inuvik, 95 Gwich'in Rd, Inuvik, NT X0E 0T0, Canada

Building Leadership for Sustainability – This year’s conference explores how strong, skilled, and well-connected recreation leaders can create resilient, adaptable programs that thrive despite challenges like climate change, funding shifts, and changing demographics. Through sessions on leadership development, community engagement, and navigating external pressures, we’ll focus on empowering leaders whose impact will ripple through communities across the Northwest Territories.

The 2025 conference promises to be an outstanding opportunity for all northerners involved in recreation in any capacity. This includes program leaders, administrators, participants, funders, partners, health care staff, students, youth, elders, youth centre staff, volunteers, and supporters.

• Access to all conference sessions, including evening sessions.

• Lunch, snacks, and coffee/cold beverages.

• A 1-year NWTRPA voting membership (see more below).

• Travel to and from the conference

• Keynote Session - Recreation and Wildfire Smoke: Sustaining Programs Through Poor Air Quality

• Recreation Leadership Breakout Sessions:
  

  • Recreation Careers - The First Two Years: Explore practical tips, real-world advice, and lessons learned to help new recreation professionals navigate and thrive in their first two years on the job, and by doing so, raise the calibre of recreation programming for all!

  • Leveraging AI to Advance Recreation Programming - We'll explore what exactly AI is, what it can do, and how it can help recreation workers to better achieve their goals for their programs and communities.

  • How I Survived: Lessons for Community Recreation Programs

• On the Land Breakout Sessions:
  

  • TBD

  • TBD

  • TBD

• Elders in Motion Breakout Sessions
  

  • Three sessions comprising the Active Living Exercise Program. Participants can anticipate delving into the complex and interconnected topics of ageism, frailty, and learned helplessness. As society continues to age, it becomes imperative to address the challenges faced by Elders. As well, during this training, you will learn to provide a baseline measurement for seniors' fitness levels. We will provide you with 10 simple, yet beneficial, exercises to encourage active living!

• Open Breakout Sessions
  

  • Northern Games - Join us for this exciting workshop, presented by Donald Kuptana of the Northern Games Society. This session will not only demonstrate several games but will provide strategies and guidance for how recreation leaders anywhere can share and instruct these games with participants. Observe as experts guide young participants through a number of games, and if you wish, try the games out for yourself!

• Art as Recreation - Expand your practice and explore the possibilities of incorporating Art into your programming! This session will demonstrate how Art can be a fun, inclusive and meaningful avenue of providing purposeful activities that can appeal to recreation seekers of all abilities.

• Bannock and Board Games - Take a break from workshops and enjoy some relaxed, low-pressure social time with fellow conference attendees. Whether you’re looking to connect with new people or unwind with old friends, this session offers a cozy space to do just that. Enjoy fresh bannock, hot coffee and tea, and a selection of board games and playing cards. Pull up a chair, join a game, or simply sit down for a good chat. This is a great opportunity to recharge, laugh, and build community in a welcoming and informal setting.

• Brights Spots
  

  • Bright Spots celebrate innovation and success in recreation programming in the NWT. Each year, we welcome presenters from around the territory to tell us about their inspiring programs or events related to recreation leadership, on the land programs, and Elders programs.

• How I Survived Podcast Airing and Beading

• Movie Night: Featuring several short films highlighting recreation and on the land program from the North and beyond.

• From Ideas to Action: Harnessing What We've Learned - After two days of engaging sessions, thought-provoking conversations, and new perspectives, it can be challenging to know what to do next. How do you take big ideas and turn them into meaningful changes in your work or community? This condensed session is designed to help you do just that. Through a simple framework and a few guided activities, you’ll reflect on what you’ve learned, identify what matters most to you, and begin translating those insights into clear, actionable steps. Whether you work in programming, leadership, or on the front lines, this session will support you in bringing your ideas to life.

• NWTRPA Annual General Meeting - Join us at the NWTRPA Annual General Meeting to learn more about the NWTRPA’s achievements over the last year and its priorities for the future. The AGM is also an opportunity for NWTRPA members to elect new board members and vote on association business. The registration fee for the Conference includes a NWTRPA voting membership, meaning that registered delegates participate in AGM elections and voting.

• Door Prizes

Membership:

For Paid Events (Voting)

By registering, you’ll automatically receive voting membership status, giving you a voice in shaping the future of recreation in our territory. Enjoy resources, networking opportunities, and the chance to connect with leaders in the field.