Representatives of Go By Bike Williams Lake and Streets for All Williams Lake presented to city council at the Jan. 16, 2024 regular meeting.
Denise Deschene, Emma Swabey, and Ruth Lloyd all spoke, updating mayor and council on what the groups have been up to and what they did for Fall Go By Bike Weeks (GBB) in 2023.
Deschene gave an overview of the events the groups hosted in the fall, from a breakfast meet-up, to partnering with the Williams Lake Film Club to present The Engine Inside film, and supporting the Canadian Mental Health Association’s Take Back the Night event.
She said the fall GBB weeks in Williams Lake saw 206 participants log 838 active transportation trips over the course of the two weeks. One hundred and sixty of those were new participants. These trips saved an estimated 1,076 kilograms of greenhouse gases, reported Deschene.
Swabey spoke to the extensive community engagements the group and its members have undertaken, from working with different community organizations like Downtown Williams Lake and Communities that Care, to working with local businesses as sponsors and partners to help promote both GBB events and the local businesses. The group also hosted information tables at community events like the Fall Outdoor Market at the Station House and the city’s Harvest Nutrition Run and Walk.
Swabey pointed out the importance of this community engagement to Go By Bike Week events.
Lloyd updated mayor and council on what the group is working on, which includes building support for the city’s request to the Ministers of Transportation and Infrastructure and Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy to work with the city to improve the Highway 20 corridor through the community.
The group also reported they are working on art-based active transportation workshops for high school students to help address climate anxiety in youth as well as creating an elder college course to support seniors in building skills and confidence around bicycles and e-bikes.
The group said they will also be doing a visioning and social event in February as part of Winter Go By Bike Week which takes place Feb. 5-11. Their event is planned for Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024.
The delegation closed with a request for information on the status of the provincial active transportation grant the city applied for and a plan for the rebooting of an active transportation committee led by the city which council requested staff look into over a year ago.
Gary Muraca, chief administrative officer for the city, said they would not be rebooting the committee until a new person is hired for the Indigenous relations, climate action, active transportation coordinator position. Natalie Swift, who had taken on the job in August, left the position before the end of last year.
READ MORE:Organizers invite community to participate in Fall Go By Bike Weeks
READ MORE: Williams Lake hires Indigenous relations, climate action, active transportation coordinator
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