The playgrounds, beaches and parks across the province reopened today, making the excitement about summer just a little more real for many.

The Saskatchewan Parks and Recreation Association (SPRA) is welcoming video submissions about why you appreciate parks and recreation in the province, and they're giving away a different prize each week.

This is because June is Recreation and Parks month in Saskatchewan, and has been since 2005.

"It's always been about celebrating the return of summer, basically, and opportunities we have in parks and recreation," explained Andrew Exelby, Parks and Open Spaces Consultant with the SPRA. "This year we've changed it up a little bit through the online campaign, in order to support provincial recommendations and that's where the Friday afternoon prize draws have come from, they're all in support of a video campaign we're running on our Facebook page."

"We're asking people throughout the month of June to tell us through a video why they are grateful for parks and recreation opportunities in Saskatchewan, and then anybody who submits a video to us gets entered into the draw for that weekly prize package," he shared.

From camping, to gardening, to simple picnic kits, the prizes are all themed around getting outside and enjoying nature. This week's prize was a backyard bird-watching surprise pack, which included a bird house, Birds of Canada book, a bird feeder, and binoculars.

It's not hard to find reasons to express appreciation for all kinds of open spaces, or specific ones.

"We definitely recognize that there's all sorts of parks, and we've been getting videos right from three minute, five minute campaigns from a whole family about why they love all types of parks and recreation opportunities, to little snippets of, 'this is why I love my local park, it's because I can take my dog there on my lunch hour'."

With this being a new campaign this year, Exelby noted the SPRA is excited about the culmination of the video submissions.

"The way we're going to end all this off, to celebrate June as parks and recreation month is actually a compilation video, so we'll be taking the videos that we receive, working to combine them all into that compilation video showcasing why everybody values parks and recreation, and we'll actually be launching it on July 1st."

The SPRA is a non-profit, funded by Saskatchewan Lotteries. SPRA provides leadership, support and services that contribute to recreation’s impact on the quality of life of people in Saskatchewan. Everyone can follow the campaign at Sask Parks and Recreation Facebook or at their website HERE. 

Several braved the winds at Nickle Lake today for a dip in the lake, while park crews worked to ensure the buoys were out by the weekend.

 

It was a bit too windy at the newly reopened beach at Mainprize Lake today.

Regional parks have been open for camping since June 1st, and the seasonal campers at Mainprize Lake are now, for the most part, nestled in for the summer.

It doesn't have to be a beach, or even far from home at all. Sometimes it's just the simple things that can put a big smile on a child's face. The River Park playground is just one of the many newly reopened parks available now right here in the City of Weyburn.