Councillor Bruce Whale joked last week that he would definitely walk to work every day in recognition of the coming Commuter Challenge event.
Given that he’s a farmer, Whale’s comments generated much laughter, but Mapleton council did express support for the event, which runs from May 31 to June 6, during Canadian Environment Week and Clean Air Day (June 3).
Sandy Turner, health promoter with the Minto Mapleton Family Health Team, explained the event to council on May 12.
It is Turner’s hope that Mapleton and Minto will compete with one another in the national program that encourages Canadians to walk, cycle, car pool, tele-work or take transit instead of driving alone to work. It is based on a friendly competition between individuals, workplaces, and communities across Canada to see who has the highest participation rate during the week.
The Minto-Mapleton In Motion committee, a community partnership that encourages 30 minutes of daily activity for all residents, asks locals to learn more and register at www.commuterchallenge.ca.
In 2008, over 41,000 Canadians in over 500 communities and 4,460 workplaces participated in the commuter challenge.
