Recreation Director Dave Stonley is ready to gloat a bit about the recent commuter challenge between Minto and its neighbour, Mapleton Township.
When asked recently by Minto Mayor David Anderson to bring council up to date on the results of the challenge, Stonley was more than ready to cite the results. He noted the challenge to Minto came from Mapleton.
Stonley explained that Helen Edwards was the representative for Mapleton, coordinating that end of the challenge, while he and Matt Lubers kept track of things in Minto.
“I’m extremely proud of how council and staff did in the challenge, he said.
“Our numbers, I believe were close to 1,800km saved, which was almost double what Mapleton did.”
Stonley phoned Edwards on June 15 to comment on the difference.
He said the conversation was as follows: “I don’t know if you’ve seen the challenge results as of yet, but I’ll sum it up in three words – ‘You got smoked.’ Then I hung up.”
The comments evoked laughter among Minto councillors.
Stonley said Anderson could certainly “rub it in” to Mapleton Mayor John Green the next time they meet because it was Mapleton that offered the challenge.
“We beat them badly,” Stonley said.
The Commuter challenge?
The goal of the challenge is to encourage Canadians to walk, cycle, take transit, carpool (share rides) or tele-work instead of driving alone to work.
The challenge supports work places as they encourage their employees to leave their cars at home for their personal health, the health of their communities, and the health of the environment.
The program is based on a friendly competition between workplaces and communities across Canada to see which has the highest percentage participation rates during the week.
