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Vernon’s Go By Bike Week starts Sunday

Formerly known as Bike To Work Week kicks off with family friendly event at Vernon Spirit Square
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North Okanagan Coalition for Active Transportation, North Okanagan Cycling Society and the City of Vernon hosts a family-friendly event, Love Our Lanes, Sunday at 1 p.m. at Vernon’s Spirit Square to celebrate the start of Go By Bike Week. (Black Press file photo)

The newly minted Go By Bike Week cycles in with a family-friendly event Sunday.

Love Our Lanes (LOL) Celebration and Bike Ride starts at 1 p.m. in Spirit Square (Vernon City Hall), hosted by the North Okanagan Coalition for Active Transportation (NOCAT), North Okanagan Cycling Society (NOCS) and the city to help kick off the week formerly known as Bike to Work Week.

“Community members can meet the planners from the city, find out what’s new, and have a say in what we would like to see in the future to connect the places where we live, learn, work and play,” said Mary Stockdale, NOCAT organizer. ” We can also get their bikes’ roadworthiness checked out by our volunteer bike mechanics. There will also be food trucks, music, and a chance to paint our face and decorate our bikes.”

At 2 p.m., a short and social group ride will travel north towards Village Green Centre on 29th Street’s separated bike path and then travel back along 25th Street, with stops for short discussions of bike lane plans between planners and cyclists. All ages and all levels of biking skill welcome – there will be bike marshalls in place to ensure safety for the kids.

This event is being held to initiate Go By Bike Week, in a spirit of celebration of Vernon becoming one of Canada’s most attractive communities for people who like to bike — whether it is using the Okanagan Rail Trail, the mountain biking trails in BC Parks, or the bike lanes through town that are used for school, work and play.

“There is still more to be done, so let’s encourage our politicians and planners to keep up the good work,” said Stockdale. “Bring the kids, get your bikes checked out, decorate your bikes and yourselves, enjoy the food and music, and let’s have fun. Most of all, let’s show how much we Love Our Lanes (LOL).”

The North Okanagan Coalition for Active Transportation (NOCAT) is a non-profit organization whose vision is a more vibrant North Okanagan with cleaner air and a healthier population, achieved through a transportation system which prioritizes bicycling and walking.

NOCAT believes active transportation plays a critical role in enhancing the region’s environmental and economic sustainability.



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