Walk with Martin Sampson: Rethinking Parks, Health, and Community
Episode Summary: What role do parks play in the health of a community? Most of us think of parks as places for recreation—a place to walk, play, or enjoy time outdoors. But what if they're also essential infrastructure that helps people and communities thrive?
In this conversation, Susan sits down with Martin Sampson, CEO of the Canadian Parks and Recreation Association, to explore the often-overlooked role parks play in building healthier, more connected, and more resilient communities. Together, they discuss why access to nature is more than a quality-of-life issue, how parks contribute to public health, and why investing upstream in prevention benefits everyone.
The conversation also explores the growing movement to help more people experience nature through initiatives like Everyone Outdoors Together, while challenging us to rethink how communities are designed and what truly creates the conditions for wellbeing.
Sometimes creating healthier communities begins with something remarkably simple: making it easier for people to step outside together.
Show Notes
When we think about healthcare, our minds often go to hospitals, physicians, and treating illness after it appears. But what if some of our most important health infrastructure already exists in the parks, trails, and green spaces woven throughout our communities?
In this episode of ROOTED, Susan Morgan Bailey welcomes Martin Sampson, CEO of the Canadian Parks and Recreation Association, for a conversation about the intersection of parks, public health, community resilience, and nature connection.
Together, they explore why parks are frequently misunderstood as amenities rather than essential community assets. Martin shares how parks contribute to physical health, mental wellbeing, social connection, emergency preparedness, and community resilience, while advocating for greater investment in the upstream conditions that help people stay healthy before crisis occurs.
The conversation also highlights Everyone Outdoors Together, a national initiative encouraging people to experience nature as a shared community practice, and explores why equitable access to green spaces matters for everyone.
Throughout the episode, Susan and Martin return to a simple but powerful idea: when we remember that we are part of nature—not separate from it—we begin to see parks differently. They become places where people gather, heal, belong, and rediscover their connection to the living world.
Key Themes
Parks as essential public health infrastructure
Investing upstream in prevention rather than downstream treatment
Nature as a foundation for individual and community wellbeing
Building resilient communities through parks and recreation
Equitable access to nature and green spaces
The power of social connection in outdoor places
Creating a movement through Everyone Outdoors Together
Key Takeaways
Parks contribute to healthier, more resilient communities in ways that often go unnoticed.
Investing in prevention means creating the conditions that help people stay well.
Nature supports physical health, mental wellbeing, and social connection.
Equitable access to parks and green spaces is an important public health issue.
Small moments outdoors can strengthen our connection to nature and one another.
Community wellbeing grows when people experience nature together.
"Perhaps creating healthier communities begins long before someone walks into a doctor's office. Perhaps it begins by creating places where people can step outside together."
Connect with Martin Sampson
Martin Sampson is the CEO of the Canadian Parks and Recreation Association, where he champions the essential role parks and recreation play in building healthy, vibrant, and resilient communities across Canada. His work focuses on advocacy, equitable access to nature, community resilience, and strengthening the conditions that help people and communities thrive.
Website: https://cpra.ca/
Everyone Outdoors Together: https://everyoneoutdoorstogether.ca/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martin-sampson-qwa-middlewood/
Resources Mentioned
Reflection Prompt
What conditions in your own community make it easier—or harder—for people to experience nature, connect with one another, and thrive?
Prefer to read? The full transcript is below.
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Susan:
Welcome, Martin. I'm excited to be here with you today.
Martin Sampson:
Susan, I am delighted to be here today. It is the highlight of my day. I can't wait to talk with you, and I certainly can't wait to explore some of this subject matter. Thank you so much for having me.
Susan:
I'm glad you're here. I'm grateful that our mutual connection, Owen Wiseman, introduced us after I had him on the podcast a while back. After our conversation, he said, "You've got to talk to Martin because he's doing the coolest things."
Before we dive into those cool things, let's start with the basics. Imagine you're at an event and someone asks what you do. What's your elevator speech?
Martin Sampson:
My name is Martin Sampson, and I'm the grateful CEO of the Canadian Parks and Recreation Association.
Our purpose is to champion the vital and essential role that the recreation and parks sector plays in building healthy, vibrant, and resilient communities.
We care deeply about parks and outdoor recreation.
Our membership includes the thirteen provincial and territorial recreation and parks associations across Canada, giving us an incredible network. I have the privilege of traveling to every corner of this country, meeting people who are deeply committed to creating balanced, complete communities for the people who live there.
Susan:
I'm a little bit jealous of your job. It sounds like a very cool role. How long have you been doing it?
Martin Sampson:
It's been almost four years. At once it feels like a lifetime, but it also feels like the snap of a finger.
I don't know if you've experienced this, Susan, but time feels different than it did when I was younger. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it's something I notice most days.
Susan:
I have two thoughts about that.
One explanation I've heard is that when you're ten years old, a year is one-tenth of your life. When you're fifty, it's one-fiftieth of your life, so it naturally feels smaller.
The other is that I divide my life into quarters. I'm in the very early part of my third quarter. Knowing I'm in the second half of the game, there's part of me that wishes it would all slow down a little.
Martin Sampson:
I feel the same way. I'm definitely in the second half of the game, and it has gone by quickly.
I've had a very good life. I'm fortunate. I have a couple of kids at home who keep me young, busy, and outdoors. Being around them, their friends, and their sports really helps me feel young.
Growing Up Outdoors
Susan:
Have you always been an outdoors person? Were you always a parks person, or did that come later? What's the path that brought you here?
Martin Sampson:
I was very fortunate.
Like many Gen X kids, I grew up hearing, "Go outside until the streetlights come on." And we took that very seriously.
We'd disappear for hours.
There were three places we'd spend our time.
The first was our neighbourhood. We explored every corner of it.
The second was Green's Creek in the east end of Ottawa. For us, it was a magical wonderland. Looking back, there was probably a fair amount of risky play, but I learned a lot and had an incredible time.
The third place was our community pool.
It wasn't just about swimming. That's where we gathered with friends. There was a real sense of community.
Later, in my twenties, I had the opportunity to live in several places around the world. I taught windsurfing and sailing in Thailand and worked as a ski resort representative in Switzerland.
Those experiences kept me outdoors.
As I've gotten older, I've come to appreciate that the attraction isn't just the activity itself.
It's the connection.
There's something about being in nature that is deeply human. We've somehow structured society in ways that separate us from that connection.
I've always loved being outdoors, and today I appreciate even more why it matters.
Susan:
What fun.
As you're talking, I'm thinking about my twenty-year-old son who's trying to figure out his next steps. Maybe he should go teach skiing in Switzerland. I don't know if he wants to go quite that far, but it reminds me how many possibilities there are.
You described the purpose of the Canadian Parks and Recreation Association earlier, and one word that stood out to me was resilience.
What strikes me is that your work isn't simply about managing parks.
It's about something much bigger.
Parks, Nature, and ResilienceSusan:
What I hear in your mission is that it's not simply about parks or access to green spaces.
There's something deeper.
One of the ideas I talk about often is that we humans are nature. We are natural creatures.
Yet we've created two additional layers that shape our lives. One is the built environment, which often disconnects us from nature and helps us forget that we're part of it. The other is the artificial environment.
I'm grateful for both of those things, but the more conversations I have, the more I'm struck by how natural it has become for us to feel not natural.
What I hear in your mission is something about helping us remember that connection.
Martin Sampson:
There are two things I'd love to respond to.
The first is your observation about the word resilience.
That word is there very intentionally.
Our sector is rapidly evolving, but it's also deeply misunderstood.
One of the biggest misunderstandings is that many people—including citizens and policymakers—don't realize the degree to which parks and recreation contribute to crisis preparedness and response.
Think about it.
Parks and recreation help reduce loneliness.
They help people stay physically active.
They connect people with nature.
But they're also often where communities gather during emergencies.
When wildfires or other disasters occur, recreation centres become evacuation sites. Recreation professionals are often among the people helping communities respond.
Then, in the aftermath of a crisis, parks and recreation become places where people come together again to reconnect and heal.
So resilience isn't just one thing.
It's multidimensional.
When you noticed that word, you picked up on something that not everyone does.
Susan:
Let's stay with resilience for a moment because you mentioned so many different dimensions.
If you were going to pull on one thread, where would you take us?
Martin Sampson:
That connects directly to the second point you raised.
I've actually given a keynote that began with what sounded like a provocative statement.
I said:
"I don't believe access to green space is a human right."
People leaned in because they were surprised.
Then I explained why.
Saying that access to green space is a human right suggests that nature is somehow separate from us—that it's something we're entitled to access.
But that's a false division.
We are the natural world.
The natural world is us.
I come more fully alive when I recognize that.
What's fascinating is that I spend a lot of my time advocating for these ideas. We now have growing evidence showing that connecting with nature benefits our mental, physical, and community wellbeing.
The research matters.
But honestly, all you really have to do is stand beside a river or in a forest and pay attention to your own physiology.
That's a data point.
I wish more people would connect with that feeling and then ask for communities that make those experiences easier to access.
Susan:
It's funny you say that because I experienced exactly that yesterday.
At the end of a stressful day, I realized I needed to step away.
Not for exercise.
Not for fitness.
I just needed a slow walk.
A saunter.
I wanted to move with intention.
About halfway down the block I heard a cricket.
That's one of my favourite sounds in nature.
The moment I heard it, I could feel my whole system exhale.
It was like my nervous system relaxed.
I wasn't walking to find a cricket.
I was simply present long enough for that moment to happen.
Martin Sampson:
That's a beautiful example.
When we slow down enough to notice the natural world, remarkable things happen.
Birdsong.
Crickets.
The sound of water.
These experiences are unique.
If we really listen, they reconnect us with something deep inside ourselves.
It's easy to let those experiences wash over us while we're rushing from one thing to the next.
But when we pay attention, they can reconnect us to our own humanity.
Susan:
To our own humanity.
To our own nature.
Everyone Outdoors Together
Susan:
This episode will be released just before a day that's a pretty big deal in your world.
I'd love for you to tell listeners about it.
I know it's especially relevant for Canadians, but I also think the idea reaches far beyond Canada.
Martin Sampson:
The idea began with a simple thought.
Imagine if, on one evening every year, Canadians stepped outside with their friends and families to share a sunset—or, in the North, a midnight sun moment.
Imagine what conversations that could create.
We could talk about community.
Mental health.
Physical health.
Conservation.
Connection.
So we created Everyone Outdoors Together.
Beginning on the third Saturday of July—Parks Day in Canada—we're inviting everyone to step outside together.
People can learn more at everyoneoutdoorstogether.ca.
We're asking people to do something they already want to do.
Go outside.
Ride a bike.
Go fishing.
Take a paddle.
Walk with a grandparent.
Sit in a park.
Whatever makes sense for you.
This is our first year, so our ambitions are modest.
We're not expecting every Canadian to participate.
We're trying to start something.
Our hope is that, over time, this becomes part of Canada's cultural calendar.
And honestly, we'd love to see people beyond Canada join us as well.
Everyone Outdoors Together can happen anywhere.
Susan:
One of the things that strikes me is what happens afterward.
People come back to work on Monday and ask,
"What did you do this weekend?"
Suddenly the conversation becomes,
"What did you notice outside?"
"Where did you go?"
"What did you see?"
It creates an entirely different kind of conversation.
What do you hope grows from that?
Martin Sampson:
Exactly that.
We want people talking about these issues.
Those conversations help create broader public awareness, and they also create opportunities to engage policymakers.
We care deeply about advocacy.
If more people begin talking about the benefits of being outdoors, that strengthens the conversation.
We're encouraging people to share photos and experiences—not because social media is the goal, but because that's where public conversations often happen today.
The more people share their own experiences in nature, the more we normalize those experiences and remind ourselves why they matter.
Parks as Public HealthSusan:
Before we started recording, we talked about the broader purpose behind this work.
One of the things that stood out to me is that you're helping people see nature as part of our public health infrastructure.
In a way, the third Saturday of July is almost like a public health day.
What comes up for you when you think about parks as a public health resource?
Martin Sampson:
We're fortunate in Canada.
At every level of government, we have access to some of the most beautiful green spaces in the world.
But we also know that everyone needs access to them.
Access to green infrastructure is a health issue.
People who have access to nature are healthier than those who don't.
I'm comfortable saying that.
We're also fortunate to work alongside incredible partners.
Organizations like Parks Canada, the Canadian Parks Council, the Trans Canada Trail, Outdoor Play Canada, the Boys and Girls Clubs, and many others are helping bring this work to life.
Each organization contributes in its own way.
Some share information.
Some organize events.
Some activate local communities.
Some simply encourage people to spend time outdoors.
There aren't many rules.
The invitation is simple:
Everyone Outdoors Together.
Susan:
One part of this conversation that keeps coming up for me is equitable access.
Not everyone lives near forests or lakes.
Some people live in highly built environments.
Others live in neighbourhoods where it doesn't feel safe to spend time outside.
Is your association intentionally working on improving equitable access to nature?
Creating Access for Everyone
Martin Sampson:
Yes.
In fact, that was the focus of the Canadian Inclusive Green Spaces Symposium that we hosted in Saskatoon.
My colleague, Clara Jane Bly—CJ—did an incredible job bringing together municipal leaders and others who care deeply about ensuring equitable access to green spaces.
The conversations were outstanding, and the work continues.
Ultimately, we believe everyone should have access.
That's not simply an altruistic idea.
It's good public policy.
When people have access to parks, recreation, and nature, communities experience better outcomes.
People are healthier.
Society benefits.
There are remarkable studies showing things like patients recovering more quickly when they can simply see a tree outside their hospital window.
That kind of evidence reminds us how profoundly nature affects us.
But there's another dimension.
Parks aren't just places where we connect with nature.
They're places where we connect with each other.
One of our partners is Pete Bombaci, who leads an organization called GenWell here in Canada.
His message, simplified, is:
Go talk to strangers.
What he's really saying is that social connection is health.
There are few people who inspire me more than Pete.
Susan:
I love hearing that.
There's a tendency to assume everyone already has access.
"Just go outside."
But there are many layers to that.
Recognizing the barriers—and creating multiple pathways for people to connect with nature—is important.
It's encouraging to hear that this is such an intentional focus of your organization and your partners.
Martin Sampson:
It really is.
And what's encouraging is that this symposium wouldn't have been possible without support from Parks Canada, our federal parks agency.
It also wouldn't have happened without our provincial and territorial members.
What moved me most wasn't just the content.
It was seeing so many people come together because they genuinely wanted to solve these challenges.
People were collaborative.
They were solution-oriented.
That inspired us to continue creating spaces for those conversations.
We hosted the Forward Together Summit in Ottawa last year.
We'll be doing it again this fall.
Many of the same people are returning because they want to keep working together.
There's a movement growing around these ideas.
Everyone Outdoors Together is one way of giving that movement a public face.
Building a Movement
Susan:
That feels like a perfect transition.
Earlier you mentioned beginning a keynote with a provocative statement.
Now you're talking about a movement that's beginning to build.
If you had a stage and a room full of people, what message would you most want them to hear?
What gives you hope?
Martin Sampson:
What gives me hope is that we're seeing a growing recognition of the profound value of parks and recreation.
We saw that during COVID.
When I say recreation, I don't just mean organized sport.
I mean people gathering in parks.
Playing games.
Walking together.
Tai Chi.
Community groups.
Any activity that brings people together.
Increasingly, those activities are happening outdoors.
That's encouraging.
At the same time, we're having an important national conversation about the future of recreation and parks in Canada.
We're rethinking the Framework for Recreation in Canada.
We've spoken with thousands of people.
Hundreds are actively contributing to the work.
We have an incredible leadership team representing communities across the country.
When I combine that national conversation with the momentum behind Everyone Outdoors Together, I feel optimistic.
Those are the things that excite me.
Investing UpstreamSusan:
Are there bright spots you're seeing—communities, programs, or trends—that give you even more hope?
Martin Sampson:
Absolutely.
One example is how new recreation facilities are being designed.
I was recently in British Columbia touring a community facility designed by HCMA Architecture. What impressed me wasn't simply the building itself, but how intentionally it had been designed to maximize community impact.
Natural light was everywhere.
The rinks, gathering spaces, and community areas all felt connected to the outdoors.
It reflected a different way of thinking about public spaces.
People like Paul Fast and others are advancing that work, and I find that incredibly encouraging.
There are also people like Jenny McCaffrey, Owen Wiseman, and Andy Day at the BC Parks Foundation who continue to move these conversations forward.
There are many bright spots.
At the same time, there are still challenges.
We continue to have to demonstrate the value of parks and recreation because the sector is often fundamentally misunderstood.
Our responsibility is to help bring greater clarity—to show that investing in recreation and parks is a wise investment that benefits society as a whole.
Susan:
You mentioned that the sector is often misunderstood.
Can you say more about what you mean by that?
Martin Sampson:
One of the biggest misunderstandings is the role recreation and parks play in health.
We're very good at investing downstream.
Here in Canada, we spend a great deal of time talking about our healthcare system, emergency room wait times, chronic disease, and many other urgent challenges.
Those conversations are important.
But we'd like people to understand that with greater upstream investment—in parks, nature, recreation, and opportunities for social connection—we can improve health long before people arrive at the emergency room.
To those of us working in this field, it feels obvious.
Why wouldn't we invest more in prevention?
Why wouldn't we create communities that naturally support health?
Of course, budgets are tight.
Policymakers face difficult choices.
Our role isn't to criticize them.
Our role is to advocate.
To me, advocacy isn't combative.
Advocacy is a thoughtful conversation between people who care about creating a better society.
Most elected officials genuinely want to improve the communities they serve.
Our job is to help them better understand the contribution parks and recreation can make.
Susan:
You're preaching to the choir.
Coming from public health and organizational wellbeing, I've spent years thinking about the tension between upstream and downstream approaches.
It's easy to see the possibilities.
Changing systems is much harder.
We often find ourselves reacting instead of investing in prevention.
Martin Sampson:
Exactly.
Public policy is complicated.
There are immediate pressures.
There are longstanding assumptions.
There are urgent needs competing for attention.
Our responsibility is to help cut through that complexity.
Honestly, I've never had someone disagree with the importance of what we're talking about.
People generally agree.
They simply face real constraints.
Our role is to help them navigate those constraints.
Susan:
And thankfully we're seeing more research that supports the case for investing upstream.
Nature is already here.
The opportunity is learning how to make better use of something that's been available all along.
Martin Sampson:
Exactly.
One example is a project we're involved with called CanActive Insights.
It's a national data platform that helps policymakers, recreation professionals, and related sectors make better decisions using evidence.
We're fortunate to work on that project alongside the Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute, the Sport Information Resource Centre, and ActiveXchange, whose expertise helps turn data into practical decision-making tools.
Looking Ahead
Susan:
Before we move into our closing questions, is there anything else you'd like listeners to hear about your work—or about the connection between parks, nature, and health?
Martin Sampson:
First, I'd invite everyone to participate in Everyone Outdoors Together.
And it doesn't have to be only on the third Saturday of July.
Go outside.
That's the first message.
The second is that we're all advocates.
If these ideas matter to you, there are many ways to get involved.
Sometimes advocacy means speaking with an elected official.
Sometimes it means talking with your municipality, your community, or your neighbours.
Advocacy begins with thoughtful conversations.
If parks, recreation, and nature matter to you, let the people shaping your communities know.
Ultimately, what we want is simple.
We want everyone outdoors together.
Susan:
I love that.
We'll include links to everything we've talked about in the show notes so listeners can learn more and find ways to get involved.
Before we wrap up, we're going to shift gears with one of my favourite parts of the podcast.
It's time for Natural Favorites.
A quick lightning round to help listeners get to know you a little better through a few nature-inspired questions.
Are you ready?
Martin Sampson:
Let's do it.
Natural FavoritesSusan:
Let's start with an easy one.
What place in nature feels most like home to you?
Martin Sampson:
Lac Sainte-Marie, Quebec, about eighty-nine kilometres north of Ottawa.
I'm fortunate to spend a lot of time there, and it truly feels like home.
Susan:
Is there a place in nature—a tree, a landscape, a trail—that has been an important teacher in your life?
Martin Sampson:
Yes.
Gros Morne National Park in Newfoundland and Labrador.
If you've never been, you absolutely should.
The hike up Gros Morne—and especially the hike back down—taught me a great deal about myself.
One lesson was that sometimes the journey down is harder than the climb up.
I'll remember that experience for all the right reasons, including the simple fact that I survived it.
I probably wasn't as well prepared as I should have been, but it was unforgettable.
Susan:
My science teacher is showing here, but Newfoundland has such an interesting climate because of the ocean currents.
If someone wanted to experience Gros Morne, what time of year would you recommend?
Martin Sampson:
Newfoundland and Labrador is beautiful any time of year if you're comfortable with a little weather.
But if you visit in late July or early August, you're likely to experience what I did.
The landscape is breathtaking.
I was genuinely surprised by how beautiful it was.
And then there are the people.
Newfoundlanders are some of the warmest, most welcoming people you'll ever meet.
Canada is known for friendly people, but even among Canadians, Newfoundlanders stand out.
Susan:
What's something you notice in nature today that your younger self would have completely missed?
Martin Sampson:
Trees.
More specifically, the character of trees.
I grew up when the phrase "tree hugger" was often used as an insult.
One day, almost as a joke, I hugged a tree.
I wasn't expecting anything.
But I noticed something.
I'm not saying lightning struck or anything dramatic happened.
It was simply... different.
That moment became part of my journey back to nature.
Now, whenever I'm walking a trail, I'll often run my hand along the bark of the trees as I pass.
I'm fascinated by their texture.
What a great question.
I'd never really thought about that before.
Susan:
I completely understand.
I have some white pines in a nearby park, and I love running my hands along their bark.
It's so soft that it almost feels like petting an animal.
There's just so much to notice.
Here's the next one.
Is there a moment outdoors that still stays with you years later?
Martin Sampson:
Yes.
Just outside Saskatoon.
One of the privileges of this job is getting to travel across Canada, and before joining CPRA I had never really experienced Saskatchewan.
I joke with my friend Todd that visiting Saskatchewan filled the Saskatchewan-shaped hole in my Canadian identity.
Standing on the prairie, looking out across the landscape and watching the bison, I realized how different—and how beautiful—that part of the country is.
Canada is such a vast and diverse place.
Sometimes beauty is right in front of us.
We simply have to slow down enough to notice it.
Although... if you ask me another question, I'd love an excuse to talk about western Canada too.
Susan:
We'll let the West know you were thinking about them.
Last question.
Imagine you're holding a dandelion that's gone to seed.
You get one wish.
What's your wish for nature?
Martin Sampson:
My wish is that humanity reconnects more deeply with the natural world.
I think that would be good for us.
I think it would ultimately be good for nature.
And I think the world could use a little more goodness.
At the risk of sounding overly optimistic, I simply hope people reconnect with their own humanity through nature.
If that happened, I believe we'd all live in a happier, healthier society.
That would be my wish.
Susan:
That's a beautiful wish.
Martin, thank you for spending time with me today.
This has been such a pleasure.
I've learned a great deal, and I'm excited to see Everyone Outdoors Together unfold over the coming weeks.
Martin Sampson:
Thank you.
I really appreciate the opportunity to talk about this work.
And remember...
Let's get everyone outdoors together.
