How to Set Up a Recreation Center Board in Ontario, Canada

Although recreation centers and fitness outlets abound in Ontario, Canada -- a province of more than 34 million, as of July 2011 -- finding information regarding activity options can be difficult. Organizing these recreation centers into a province-wide board can make it easier to explore athletic options, but such a task is a formidable one that will require a significant investment in time and a lot of hard work.

Instructions

    • 1

      Familiarize yourself with Ontario. Because of the vast geographical area of this province, failure to understand the territorial limits can lead to some areas being left out of your recreation center board. Ontario is comprised of 40 counties, so be sure to include all of the counties in your planning.

    • 2

      Contact the Ministry of Health Promotion and Sport. This organization manages health-related programs and activities throughout Ontario and was instituted to "make Ontario a leader in health promotion within Canada and internationally." You can contact the ministry by phone at 416-326-8500 or by sending a message to info@mhp.gov.on.ca.

    • 3

      Contact county governments to amass a list of recreation centers. Although you may not feel as though you need to have participation from every recreation center across Ontario, contacting as many as possible is in your best interest to promote unity. The county governments can make your work easier by providing you with contact information for the recreation centers. If they do not provide this information, an Internet search would be the most time-efficient manner of tracking down recreation centers.

    • 4

      Solicit input from recreation center officials in every part of Ontario as to what the structure and function of the board should be. Honoring the input of potential board members will make them more likely to participate, will help establish legitimacy and trust, and can help alleviate the burden of board design.

    • 5

      Choose a central location for your first meeting. At this meeting, you can establish board rules, officers and administrative guidelines such as how often you will have meetings and how future rules can be created and modified. Toronto may be an ideal location for the meeting, as it is located toward the middle of Ontario and has many lodging options.