NHL player Jordan Eberle and family help fund outdoor learning space at southwest Calgary library

'We want all kids to have access to important opportunities. Outdoor play helps children build social skills, boost their physical activity, improve their overall health,' Eberle said

The Sticks and Strings Foundation, founded by NHLer Jordan Eberle and his wife Lauren Rodych-Eberle, is funding a $700,000 outdoor early learning centre at the new Belmont Library, which is set to open in 2027. The nearly 4,000-square-foot space will provide an area for children to learn through interactive outdoor play, and will be the third of its kind across the city. Of the Calgary Public Library’s 15 early learning centres, only two are outdoor spaces.

“Play is how children build confidence, communication skills, relationships and lifelong learning habits,” said Tracy Johnson, CEO of Calgary Public Library Foundation. “Early learning centers encourage active learning through talking, reading, singing, and playing with peers,” she said. “There’s not many places that offer a space like this for every family, no matter their circumstances, to come and enjoy for free — but libraries can do this thanks to our passionate donors like the Sticks and Strings Foundation.”

The Sticks and Strings Foundation, founded in 2022, supports children and families across Canada through its five pillars: sports, music, reading, the outdoors and parent support. “We believe that if you’ve been blessed, you should build a longer table rather than a taller fence,” Eberle said. “This game of hockey has given me so much, and we just thought, we need to give back.”

Though Eberle currently captains the Seattle Kraken, he and his family consider Calgary to be home. With three kids and two more on the way, the family frequents Calgary’s libraries and other public spaces. “We want all kids to have access to important opportunities.

Outdoor play helps children build social skills, boost their physical activity, improve their overall health,” Eberle said. “This is a great way to give back and help with the community around us.” Related Calgary Public Library gives out free kindergarten book bags to help launch early literacy skills Calgary Public Library breaks circulation record as demand for services continues to grow Early learning centres ‘customized to the community’

The foundation has partnered with the Calgary Public Library on several initiatives in the past, including the My First Bookshelf and StoryWalks programs. Rodych-Eberle said she was thrilled when she heard about the early learning centre project. “I just knew it was something we had to be a part of, because it touched on every single one of those pillars, and we knew it was just going to be a space that would be so welcoming to so many,” she said.

“It’s not a playground in the classic way you think of a playground . . . It’s really a full sensory body experience (with) all of those learning elements incorporated into it.” Though the space is still in its early design stage, Johnson said the Library Foundation is working closely with Sticks and Strings to plan a space that will serve the surrounding community.

“Each early learning center customizes itself to the communities and their needs, so we’re excited to see how this one comes together,” she said. “There’ll be musical elements, there’ll be sport elements, lots of spaces for supporting parents as well, so it’s going to be fantastic. We cannot wait to see it come to life.”

All of the early learning centres have been entirely donor-funded, she said, but the goal is to eventually have them at all 23 library locations across the city. New library accessible option for area residents Sarah Meilleur, CEO of the Calgary Public Library, said the new Belmont location will be a more accessible option for families in the surrounding communities. “Right now, the residents of Belmont and Silverado have to travel north across Stoney Trail to get to the Shawnessy Library or take Stoney over here to Seton,” she said.

The new location will be within walking or biking distance for many families. “With the addition of this outdoor early learning center, they can park their bikes and strollers and start engaging with the library before they even enter our front doors,” Meilleur said. “We want families using these spaces to feel like the library is a place for them — a place to create their own story — whether through imaginative play or real-life learning and discovery.”

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