Pathways for People Tour Promotes Active Transportation

HEALTH PROMOTION--Pathways for People Tour Promotes Active Transportation

A team touring Nova Scotia from May to November will promote the value of active transportation in improving health, physical activity, air quality and traffic congestion.

"We want to increase awareness around the benefits of being active," said Health Promotion Minister Rodney MacDonald. "The tour will promote physical activity as a low-cost method of transportation -- leave the car at home and improve your overall health."

The minister said two-thirds of Nova Scotians are not active enough to achieve health benefits. Active transportation -- walking, biking or using other modes of non-motorized travel for trips within the community -- can make a difference.

"Walk to the corner store, cycle to school or work -- these are easy ways to increase activity within the normal routine," Mr. MacDonald said.

The tour will focus on youth and challenge communities to increase active ways to travel. The tour's 25 community visits will include public forums and meetings with schools, youth groups and community decision-makers. They will distribute tool kits of best practice guides and reference materials.

"Active transportation is an easy, low-cost activity that has so many benefits," said Robynn Moody, one of two facilitators organizing the tour. "Reduced greenhouse gas emissions and parking costs are important benefits, and regular exercise has been proven to improve energy and productivity levels -- it's a win-win concept."

The first public forums will be held at:

• Lockeport Recreation Centre, 26 North St., Lockeport, today, May 5 at 7 p.m.
• McKay Memorial Library, 254 Water St., Shelburne, May 6 at 7 p.m.

Other tour stops include Yarmouth, Tusket, Cape Breton Regional Municipality, Wolfville and Antigonish.

The Pathways for People Active Transportation Tour is part of Active Community Environments, a component of the Active Kids, Healthy Kids strategy. Active Community Environments will receive $208,000 in funding over three years from Active Kids, Healthy Kids, the Federal Diabetes Strategy and the Climate Change Action Fund. The tour is a partnership between the Office of Health Promotion, the Ecology Action Centre and Youth for Environmental Action.

For more information and tour dates, visit the Web site at www.gov.ns.ca/src/pathways .

NOTE: Following are three examples of active transportation programs taking place in Nova Scotia.

Halifax: Springvale School Walking School Bus Springvale is a small school with lots of enthusiasm for getting active. The elementary school runs weekly Walking School Buses during fair-weather months. Staff and parent volunteers meet students at three different gathering areas on Walking Wednesdays. They walk to school together and benefit from a supervised walk, safety in numbers, physical activity and a social atmosphere. Walking cuts down on traffic congestion in front of the school with the added benefit of fewer greenhouse gas emissions released from parents' vehicles. The Walking School Bus is part of Active and Safe Routes to School, a nationwide program aimed at getting more students walking, biking and using other active modes of transportation to and from school.

Shelburne County: Shelburne County Bikes, Boards and Blades Association The Shelburne County Bikes, Boards and Blades Association is helping to promote active transportation in its community. Newly formed and run by both youth and adults, this association of forward thinkers focuses on promoting biking, skateboarding and inline skating as ways to get youth active. While these activities are often looked down upon in many communities, the association not only encourages them, but works to get the facilities and community support to allow them to happen. Some of the events the association is planning include building a skateboard park, collecting old bikes and bike parts for reuse and conducting bicycle maintenance and safety workshops.

Cape Breton Regional Municipality: Active Transportation Committee Got an hour at lunch time to go for a walk? Come out to Walking Wednesdays. Want to get your workplace more active? Sign up for the Walk and Roll Challenge. Got an old bike you'd like to give away and get another in return? Drop by the Bike Bonanza event. These are just some of the activities spearheaded by the Active Transportation Committee to get residents more active in Cape Breton Regional Municipality. With representatives from a number of health, recreation and environmental organizations, this committee promotes active transportation as an excellent way to get healthy and to get where you need to go.