Latest news with #ParksFoundation
Calgary Herald
29-05-2025
- Health
- Calgary Herald
Calgary breaks ground on first-ever park for seniors with dementia in Canada
Calgary Parks Foundation broke ground Thursday in southeast Calgary on plans to build Canada's first-ever dementia inclusive park. Article content Article content The project has been in the works for four years, according to Sheila Taylor, foundation CEO, with plans to come to fruition by summer of 2026. Article content It all began with a question asked to Taylor by a then-member of the foundation, Sarah Salus. Article content Article content 'She asked, why are there no parks for people with dementia?' Taylor said, in her remarks at the ceremony, on the green plot outside the Great Forest Lawn 55+ Society centre in the community of Dover, where the park will be constructed. Article content Article content 'And the second question. Could we ever build one?' she continued. Article content 'I said, I don't know but we could try.' Article content The idea for the park received an overwhelming enthusiasm from the community, consultants, researchers, politicians — Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek said this was a project that was a 'deeply personal' one for her. Article content 'Many of you know I share a home with my mother and after my dad unexpectedly passed away in 2023, I became her primary companion. And she very openly shares with me her experiences with aging,' Gondek said. Article content While her mother does not live with dementia, she has been vocal about her worries of losing her cognitive abilities as she gets older, Gondek said. 'That's hard to watch and even harder to experience.' Article content Article content The area was chosen in part for its proximity to Bethany Riverview, a highly-specialized dementia care centre. Article content Designs for the park cater specifically to those living with dementia and includes a range of safety and sensory features to support it, according to Taylor. Article content 'You're going to be able to hold on as you're walking around and everything will be really colour-coded so people can really feel like they know where they're going,' Taylor said. 'Extra seating for people with dementia, but also their caregivers. Lots of space for programming. There'll be features in the park that are very beautiful and that will inspire memories but also the senses.' Article content The walkways through the park will shaped in loops, she added, to ensure a therapeutic experience for those living with Alzheimer's. Article content This will be the first of Calgary's over 1,000 parks that cater specifically to seniors, she added. 'At the Parks Foundation, we always have an eye for innovation. We're always looking for ideas that have never been done or a creative take on a project.'
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Kehlani Central Park Pride Show Canceled Over 'Security Concerns' From Mayor's Office
SummerStage has canceled Kehlani's upcoming Central Park Pride concert over pressure from Mayor Eric Adams' office, which claimed the event posed 'security concerns' due to the singer's pro-Palestine stance that led to Cornell University canceling a show of hers as well last week. In a letter addressed to City Parks Foundation executive director Heather Lubov, New York's First Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro wrote that 'we have security concerns about this event, given the controversy surrounding Kehlani's scheduled performance at Cornell University (causing University officials to cancel the appearance), the security precautions needed for an event like this in Central Park, and the security demands throughout the City for other Pride events during this same period of time.' More from The Hollywood Reporter Blackpink's Jennie and Lisa Dazzle at 2025 Met Gala Zach Bryan Signs New Deal With Warner Records Beyoncé Replaces Sphere Visual in Cowboy Carter Tour After Cease-and-Desist Mastro also suggested in his letter that Kehlani's show could've jeopardized the Parks Foundation's other SummerStage events as well, writing that 'if the Foundation does not promptly take steps to ensure public safety, the City reserves all rights and remedies with respect to the Foundation's license.' Lubov wrote back to Mastro on Monday, confirming that the event was canceled. In a statement Monday afternoon, SummerStage referenced the concern from the mayor's office and said that 'we strongly and emphatically believe in artistic expression of all kinds,' but further added that 'the safety and security of our guests and artists is of the utmost importance and in light of these concerns, the concert has been cancelled.' 'SummerStage is proud to be a platform for artists from around the world to perform and make arts accessible for all New Yorkers in their neighborhood parks,' the Parks Foundation said. 'While artists may choose to express their own opinions, their views may not necessarily be representative of the festival. SummerStage events are intended to bring together all sectors of the New York City community and we look forward to welcoming more guests throughout the summer.' Kehlani has been vocal in her support for Palestine in the past, most notably in a music video for her 2024 song 'Next 2 U.' That video featured Kehlani dancing and singing in front of a Palestinian flag and concluded with a message about 'honoring the names of thousands of deceased children' who died in Gaza. The video opened with the message 'long live the intifada,' which groups like the American Jewish Committee have called antisemitic. As Billboard reported, after the Cornell show was canceled, Kehlani posted a video on Instagram saying, 'For the millionth time, that I am not antisemitic nor anti-Jew.' 'I am anti-genocide, I am anti- the actions of the Israeli government, I am anti- an extermination of an entire people,' Kehlani said. She took to Instagram following the Central Park show cancellation on Monday, writing that 'I just found that one out on Instagram, by the way.' 'I'm so deeply grounded in my purpose, my mission, my art, my contribution,' Kehlani wrote. 'Back to this album. See you this weekend LA.' Best of The Hollywood Reporter Hollywood's Most Notable Deaths of 2025 Most Anticipated Concert Tours of 2025: Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar & SZA, Sabrina Carpenter and More Hollywood's Highest-Profile Harris Endorsements: Taylor Swift, George Clooney, Bruce Springsteen and More
