Go By Bike Williams Lake presented as a delegation to city council at the May 21 committee of the whole meeting, laying out their Go By Bike Week plans.
Denise Deschene and Ruth Lloyd, of Streets for All Williams Lake spoke to council and shared their plans for June 3-9.
“It’s not just about biking,” clarified Deschene, noting different forms of active transportation can be logged as well, using mobility devices, walking and skateboards all count to be able to win prizes.
She also highlighted a push to encourage trips in the downtown by bicycle, with discounts being offered by some local businesses for those who show up by bicycle between June 3 and 9.
“We also really wanted to encourage people to come down and shop on their bikes,” she said.
Both local bike shops, The Bean Counter, Next Gen Mercantile, Sta Well Health Foods, and Fox Mountain Brewing are offering discounts all week, and Red Tomato Pies is offering cyclists a free slice of pizza from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday to Friday during the week.
Deschene and Lloyd also invited council and staff to participate in a ride in the community with them in order to see first hand some of the good and bad of what it’s like to cycle in the community.
Council members thanked the delegation for the work they do for the community and agreed to move ahead with declaring June 3-9 Go By Bike Week in Williams Lake at their next council meeting. They also agreed to house one of the decorated bikes the group Streets for All Williams Lake made to help promote Go By Bike Week, with people from the community having helped paint the bicycles during a number of community events, including Seedy Saturday and the Williams Lake Bike Rodeo.
Once again, participants who log an active transportation trip of any kind between June 3 and 9 are eligible to win some major prizes, including a cycling trip in Italy and if the trip replaced a vehicle trip, the participant could win an e-bike.
During the Williams Lake Farmers’ Market May 31 and June 7, volunteers will host a bike valet so shoppers can arrive by bicycle and leave their bike with them while they shop. There will also be free bike safety checks to give bikes a once over and ensure they are ready for Go By Bike Week as well as providing information on prizes and events over the province-wide push to support active transportation trips.
On June 4, participants are invited to arrive by active transportation for free brew coffee and a social breakfast at Smashing Smoothies from 7:30-8:30 a.m. Volunteers can log your trip for you so you can be entered to win one of the many Go By Bike Week prizes.
Throughout the week, anyone wanting to take a walk or ride on their own schedule in order to be eligible to win can also solve some downtown Williams Lake scavenger hunt clues to take them to a number of locations in the city.
Once people solve the clue, they can send a photo via email or direct message on social media of themselves at the location, how they got there, and how far they traveled, along with their name and email to be entered to win prizes as well.
A Critical Mass social ride will take place on the Friday, June 7 meeting up at the covered picnic area in Boitanio Park at 5:30 p.m., and on June 9, volunteers will ride down from Boitanio Park at 9:30 a.m., which people can come along to check out some of the new infrastructure for cycling and walking in the community to get to Scout Island for the Marsh Magic event during the day. Volunteers will then be at Scout Island from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to host a bike valet again for people to leave their bikes safely while they enjoy the Marsh Magic festival events.
For details on events taking place in Williams Lake during Go By Bike Week, find Streets for All Williams Lake on social media.
READ MORE: Williams Lake Bike Rodeo rolls through May long weekend
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