Welcome to the website of the

Canadian Association for Leisure Studies/

Association canadienne d'études en loisir (CALS)

CALS is an organization of Canadian and international scholars and practitioners who share an interest in recreation and leisure research and the delivery of leisure services, and who meet once every three years at the Canadian Congress on Leisure Research.

The CALS website provides you with information about the Association and its activities. You also will find links to Canadian and international sites associated with the field of recreation and leisure studies, of both an academic and an applied nature.

CALS Background and Functions

CALS was founded at the Third Canadian Congress on Leisure Research, held at the University of Alberta, in 1981. Tim Burton, a two-time President of CALS, has written a brief history of the Association.

Membership in CALS is automatically awarded to everyone who attends a Canadian Congress on Leisure Research, although other membership arrangements are possible.

News and Events

CCLR 13 at Brock University in May 2011

Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario, is hosting the 13th Canadian Congress on Leisure Research on May 18th to 21st in 2011. Visit the website of Brock's Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies for more information.

The theme for CCLR13 is "An Evolving Tapestry: Weaving Together the Threads of Leisure". Of note, the preliminary programme (in PDF format) can be downloaded from here.

We look forward to seeing you at CCLR 13 in May 2011!

Nominees for the Board of Directors for 2011 to 2014

At the Annual General Meeting of CALS to be held on May 19th, 2011, during the 13th Canadian Congress on Leisure Research in St. Catharines, Ontario, the new CALS Executive and Board of Directors will be elected. Visit the "People" link to review the nominees for the Board.

Leisure/Loisir now with Routledge

Beginning in 2010, Leisure/Loisir, the journal of CALS, is being published by Routledge. We are extremely excited to be part of the Routledge family of journals in sport and leisure studies. By being available in electronic format for the first time, Leisure/Loisir now will be even more accessible to a wider range of international researchers in leisure studies. Routledge’s reputation as a world leader in publishing scholarly journals will only serve to enhance the journal’s profile as a high quality outlet for emerging knowledge in leisure, recreation, sport, and arts. Visit the new website for Leisure/Loisir here.

Research Group on Leisure and Aging

A new research group focused on leisure and aging has been organised by founding members Heather Gibson, Douglas Kleiber, Galit Nimrod, and Jerome Singleton. The new group -- Leisure and Aging Research Group (LARG) -- is devoted "to increase academic scholarship of leisure and aging within the cultural contexts of various nations around the world" and "to enhance interdisciplinary and international dialogue between leisure and aging researchers, educators, practitioners, and policy makers." Interested? Visit the LARG website [here] to learn more and sign-up for the discussion group.