New recreation, arts and culture app launches for summer

July 10, 2014 · 0 Comments

The Peel Children and Youth Initiative (PCYI) and Microsoft Canada teamed up with eight program providers in Peel to launch Play in Peel at Century Gardens Recreation Centre in Brampton recently.
Play in Peel is a web app that curates recreation, arts and library programming across Caledon, Brampton and Mississauga into one place that can be accessed on a computer, tablet or smart phone.
The launch event featured a live app demonstration from Keith Loo, open platforms lead at Microsoft Canada, and two of PCYI’s youth board members, Ryan Tilley and Maryan Osman. Donna-Lynn Rosa, director of recreation and culture public services with the City of Brampton, offered remarks as the launch event’s hosting partner. In attendance were 25 Grade 8 leaders from Gordon Graydon Senior Public School in Brampton, as well as City Councillor Grant Gibson and Regional Councillor Elaine Moore.
Play in Peel has many features to offer a tailored user experience, including custom options, built-in walking directions and social sharing. Currently, the app features programming from various agencies, including Caledon Public Library. Play in Peel features programs for all ages.
“As a young person in Peel, I can attest to the fact that it is difficult to find out about all of the great activities that are out there,” commented Tilley, a member of the Peel Children and Youth Initiative Youth Advisory Council. “Play in Peel is something that I can use easily on the bus after school to find out what’s going on in my neighbourhood for people my age.”
Play in Peel is rooted in PCYI’s Peel’s Kids Participate: A Recreation and After School Strategy 2013-18. Peel-based research shows that families consider awareness and registration to be barriers to participating in recreational activities. Play in Peel is one way the strategy is helping to improve access to recreation in Peel.
The app’s sponsor, Microsoft Canada, is a leader in open data initiatives and this app sets a new precedent for the way recreation data can be opened, stored and standardized.
To use the new app, visit www.PlayInPeel.org