AT-Network May 2010

at-network@lists.umanitoba.ca

6 participants
17 discussions

by Beth McKechnie

[Forwarded on behalf of Ian Hall, City of Winnipeg] Hello, On Wednesday, May 26, Mayor Sam Katz released OurWinnipeg - the City of Winnipegs draft 25-year plan, along with four supporting direction strategies. Newspaper advertisements the preceding weekend, as well as an e-mail blast, invited Winnipeggers to continue the conversation. In anticipation of a formal review and approval process that will occur later this year, citizens are encouraged to become more familiar with the documents by visiting SpeakUpWinnipeg.com or by attending one or more information sharing sessions. The OurWinnipeg package is extensive and citizens are encouraged to take advantage of one of these opportunities to learn about the draft documents and to ask questions of City staff. Complete event details available at www.SpeakUpWinnipeg.com. A reminder of this weeks sessions: Public Information Sessions: Come out and talk to City representatives about the OurWinnipeg document as well as the four direction strategies: Complete Communities, Sustainable Winnipeg, Sustainable Water and Waste and Sustainable Transportation. We will be on hand to discuss the content and answer any questions you might have. You will have the opportunity to look at the documents, maps and other information. * Monday, May 31, 5:30-8:30 p.m. Canad Inns Fort Gary, 1792 Pembina Hwy. * Tuesday, June 1, 5:30-8:30 p.m. River East Collegiate, 295 Sutton Ave. * Wednesday, June 2, 5:30-8:30 p.m. Sturgeon Creek Community Centre, 210 Rita St. * Thursday, June 3, 5:30-8:30 p.m. - Franco Manitoban Cultural Centre - 340 Provencher Blvd. (this will be a bilingual session) Roundtables: Primarily aimed at individuals/organizations who participated in earlier roundtable sessions, these sessions are our way of checking back with previous participants. This is an opportunity to introduce you to the Draft OurWinnipeg Package, look at sections in more detail, and to hear your comments and questions. It is an intense burst of information sharing, and we want to provide you a strong information base to start exploring the documents. If you are unable to make a session, please come out to one of the Public Information Sessions. We are happy to receive your comments and questions. Please RSVP to Becky Raddatz (braddatz(a)winnipeg.ca). Also, if you need translation or any material in alternative formats we are happy to assist. Note: for morning sessions, doors will open at 8:30, session will begin at 9:00 a.m. * Tuesday, June 1, 1:30-4:00 p.m. Millennium Library, Carol Shields Auditorium - Topic: Opportunity & Vitality * Wednesday, June 2, 8:30-11:00 a.m. Millennium Library, Buchwald Room Topic: Sustainability * Wednesday, June 2, 1:30-4:00 p.m. Millennium Library, Buchwald Room Topic: Housing/Recreation/Libraries * Thursday, June 3, 8:30-11:00 a.m. Millennium Library, Buchwald Room Topic: Creativity * Thursday, June 3, 1:30-4:00 p.m. Millennium Library, Buchwald Room Topic: City Building, including Transportation * Friday, June 4, 8:30-11:00 a.m. Millennium Library, Carol Shields Auditorium Topic: Opportunity & Vitality + Open session (all topics) * Friday, June 4, 1:30-4:00 p.m. Millennium Library, Carol Shields Auditorium Topic: Safety & Security + Open session (all topics)

13 years

SpeakUpWinnipeg Information Sharing Sessions this Week

by Hall, Ian

Hello, On Wednesday, May 26, Mayor Sam Katz released OurWinnipeg - the City of Winnipeg's draft 25-year plan, along with four supporting direction strategies. Newspaper advertisements the preceding weekend, as well as an e-mail blast, invited Winnipeggers to continue the conversation. In anticipation of a formal review and approval process that will occur later this year, citizens are encouraged to become more familiar with the documents by visiting SpeakUpWinnipeg.com or by attending one or more information sharing sessions. The OurWinnipeg package is extensive and citizens are encouraged to take advantage of one of these opportunities to learn about the draft documents and to ask questions of City staff. Complete event details available at www.SpeakUpWinnipeg.com <http://www.speakupwinnipeg.com/> . A reminder of this week's sessions: Public Information Sessions: Come out and talk to City representatives about the OurWinnipeg document as well as the four direction strategies: Complete Communities, Sustainable Winnipeg, Sustainable Water and Waste and Sustainable Transportation. We will be on hand to discuss the content and answer any questions you might have. You will have the opportunity to look at the documents, maps and other information. * Monday, May 31, 5:30-8:30 p.m. - Canad Inns Fort Gary, 1792 Pembina Hwy. * Tuesday, June 1, 5:30-8:30 p.m. - River East Collegiate, 295 Sutton Ave. * Wednesday, June 2, 5:30-8:30 p.m. - Sturgeon Creek Community Centre, 210 Rita St. * Thursday, June 3, 5:30-8:30 p.m. - Franco Manitoban Cultural Centre - 340 Provencher Blvd. (this will be a bilingual session) Roundtables: Primarily aimed at individuals/organizations who participated in earlier roundtable sessions, these sessions are our way of 'checking back' with previous participants. This is an opportunity to introduce you to the Draft OurWinnipeg Package, look at sections in more detail, and to hear your comments and questions. It is an intense burst of information sharing, and we want to provide you a strong information base to start exploring the documents. If you are unable to make a session, please come out to one of the Public Information Sessions. We are happy to receive your comments and questions. Please RSVP to Becky Raddatz (braddatz(a)winnipeg.ca <mailto:braddatz@winnipeg.ca> ). Also, if you need translation or any material in alternative formats we are happy to assist. Note: for morning sessions, doors will open at 8:30, session will begin at 9:00 a.m. * Tuesday, June 1, 1:30-4:00 p.m. - Millennium Library, Carol Shields Auditorium - Topic: Opportunity & Vitality * Wednesday, June 2, 8:30-11:00 a.m. - Millennium Library, Buchwald Room - Topic: Sustainability * Wednesday, June 2, 1:30-4:00 p.m. - Millennium Library, Buchwald Room - Topic: Housing/Recreation/Libraries * Thursday, June 3, 8:30-11:00 a.m. - Millennium Library, Buchwald Room - Topic: Creativity * Thursday, June 3, 1:30-4:00 p.m. - Millennium Library, Buchwald Room - Topic: City Building, including Transportation * Friday, June 4, 8:30-11:00 a.m. - Millennium Library, Carol Shields Auditorium - Topic: Opportunity & Vitality + Open session (all topics) * Friday, June 4, 1:30-4:00 p.m. - Millennium Library, Carol Shields Auditorium - Topic: Safety & Security + Open session (all topics) Please visit www.SpeakUpWinnipeg.com <http://www.speakupwinnipeg.com/> to review the draft document package. We hope to see you at one or more of the sessions!

13 years

Safe Kids Week - Bike Helmet Campaign

by Beth McKechnie

----- Original Message ----- From: Shawn Feely Sent: Friday, May 28, 2010 2:45 PM Subject: Safe Kids Week - Bike Helmet Campaign Please distribute. This year, Safe Kids Week (May 31-June 4) is promoting helmet use for wheeled recreational activities such as cycling, inline skating and skate boarding. At the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, we are supporting this week by launching Ride2Win - a bicycle helmet promotion campaign - that includes a chance for a student / child to win a bike for themselves and a parent. What are the campaign messages? l Bike together! Younger children should always cycle with a parent. l Everyone wear a helmet. Parents too! This increases helmet use in kids. l Wear your helmet correctly: (see Ride2Win.ca for information) We invite you to participate in this campaign by distributing this email with attached poster through your networks, to youth groups, to your child's school, to family members etc. etc. etc. If you have questions please feel free to contact me directly. Shawn Feely Injury Prevention Coordinator IMPACT, the injury prevention program Winnipeg Regional Health Authority NA335 - 700 McDermot Avenue Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3E 0T2 Phone (204) 787-1823 sfeely(a)hsc.mb.ca -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This email and/or any documents in this transmission is intended for the addressee(s) only and may contain legally privileged or confidential information. Any unauthorized use, disclosure, distribution, copying or dissemination is strictly prohibited. If you receive this transmission in error, please notify the sender immediately and return the original. Ce courriel et tout document dans cette transmission est destinÃ© Ã la personne ou aux personnes Ã qui il est adressÃ©. Il peut contenir des informations privilÃ©giÃ©es ou confidentielles. Toute utilisation, divulgation, distribution, copie, ou diffusion non autorisÃ©e est strictement dÃ©fendue. Si vous n'Ãªtes pas le destinataire de ce message, veuillez en informer l'expÃ©diteur immÃ©diatement et lui remettre l'original.

13 years

Spring 2010 Active & Green

by Beth McKechnie

[Apologies for any duplicate postings!] Welcome to the Spring 2010 issue of Active and Green! We hope you will share it widely with co-workers, colleagues, family and friends. The newsletter can also be downloaded as a pdf file: www.resourceconservation.mb.ca/news/pdfs/Active&Green_Spring_2010.pdf Have fun walking, biking, riding the bus, carpooling or however you get around! Beth McKechnie Green Commuting Initiatives Workplace TDM Program Coordinator Resource Conservation Manitoba (204) 925-3772 beth(a)resourceconservation.mb.ca

13 years

Spots open - City Cycling course, May 30, noon-4 pm

by Beth McKechnie

If you missed out on earlier offerings of this cycling course, there are spots still open for this Sunday afternoon (details below). To register, contact the City of Winnipeg right away at 311 or register online (see page 4, http://www.winnipeg.ca/cms/Leisure/pdfs/LG_S10_online.pdf). ** Please circulate widely ** thanks! Beth 925-3772 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

13 years

FW: [transp-tdm] True Cost of Owning a Car Graphic

by Erik Dickson

Hi All, Saw this neat graphic online this morning about the cost of automobile ownership and thought I'd share. http://www.gobankingrates.com/how-much-does-your-car-really-cost-you/ http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2010/05/the-true-cost-of-owning-a-car/ Regards, Erik Dickson B.Sc. (Hons) Marr Consulting Services 8th Floor - 136 Market Avenue Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 0P4 Phone: (204) 927-3456 ext. 242 Fax: (204) 927-3443 Please consider our environment before printing this message.

13 years

Dana Strapazzon Retirement Celebration - TICKETS

by Beth McKechnie

----- Original Message ----- From: Honey, Brian Subject: Dana Strapazzon Retirement Celebration - TICKETS *Tickets are currently being sold and going fast. To get yours, please continue reading. After years of hard work and dedication, it's time to take a permanent vacation. No more meetings or pages to fax, it's time to kick back and just relax. We welcome you in celebrating a retirement party honoring Dana Strapazzon on Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010. Please join us to share happy memories and wishing her well, as she starts her long and well deserved rest. This event is not a surprise, Dana is well aware of all plans. The celebration will occur at Silverado's Nightclub located at 2100 McPhillips Street from 5:00pm - 8:00pm. Tickets are $12 and will include your choice of steak or chicken and a potato. Part of the ticket price goes towards a large retirement gift for Dana. You may purchase tickets from any of the following: Brian Honey - 990-6636 or contact bhoney(a)winnipeg.ca (7th floor 395 Main) Gail Katz - 986-7760 or contact gkatz(a)winnipeg.ca (8th floor 395 Main) Derrick Stamm - 470-9791 or contact dstamm(a)winnipeg.ca (6th floor 395 Main) Karen Glugosh - 612-2065 or contact kglugosh(a)winnipeg.ca (6th floor 395 Main Greg Ferguson - 986-4355 or contact gferguson(a)winnipeg.ca (6th floor 395 Main) Jeff Honey - 986-8366 or contact jhoney(a)winnipeg.ca (430 Langside, Magnus Eliason Rec Center) Bill Towers - 986-3214 or contact btowers(a)winnipeg.ca (8th floor 395 Main) Louie Strapazzon - 339-5105 or contact luidana(a)shaw.ca (Dana's husband) Please note Silverado's has indicated they will not be selling tickets at the door, so please purchase your ticket in advance. See you at the party, Brian Honey bhoney(a)winnipeg.ca

13 years

Driving home the benefits of staying active

by Kevin Miller

Driving home the benefits of staying active By David Suzuki with Faisal Moola I was struggling through my routine at the gym in April when the owner came up to me. "Give me something to share on Twitter for Earth Day," he demanded. I've been working out for more than 30 years and I'm still waiting for it to be fun, or at least easy, so my brain was not operating at full bore. I panted, "How about this: Get out and exercise. It's good for your body and it's good for the environment." He seemed happy enough and wandered away, but his question got me thinking. I'm a biologist. I know that we evolved out of the natural world and lived without machines for a long time. Everything our ancient ancestors did, they did by expending some effort, especially to get from one place to another. Our bodies evolved to keep up with this required effort. Indeed, our bodies need to work in order to restore themselves. Don't believe me? Just look at one of the most effective ways to reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's, stroke, cancer, and more: exercise! Now, I know that a car is an amazing piece of technology, but it's just a means of getting us from point A to point B. When we climb into a car to drive five or 10 blocks instead of walking or cycling, we may come up with all kinds of rationalizations as to why it was necessary, but do we ever stop to consider that this simple act works against what our bodies need? When I walk by a school and see roly-poly kids jumping from the big cars lined up outside, I suspect that parents think they're doing their children a favour. But it's at the expense of what kids need to remain healthy. If a neighbourhood is so dangerous that we can't let our children walk to school, then we should work to make it safer, or initiate group walks. When a 90-kilogram person climbs into a 2,000-kilogram vehicle, more than 95 per cent of the gasoline is burned to move the car, not the person! That's a lose-lose-lose situation: we throw away money, waste energy, and exacerbate environmental pollution. The auto sector has dazzled us with big, fancy stuff because energy has been cheap and the environmental consequences haven't figured in its planning. With the near-death experience of the big three auto companies as the economy melted down, and with oil prices rising steadily, car companies are finding religion on being green as they tout smaller, more efficient cars. Let's hope this represents a turning point in the values that motivate them. But we also need to shift the way we all of think of cars. People seem to regard a car as an extension of themselves - bigger, sexier, noisier, faster, more powerful. I can understand the psychology, but still, it's just a machine. It's something to get us to our destination, but it has become so deeply embedded in our culture that it's impossible to think of doing without it - at least until we build cities in ways that eliminate our need for personal vehicles. We must think of a car as simply a machine to move us around, a machine that should be used sparingly because overuse is harmful. Our love of cars also sets a bad example for the rest of the world, especially China and India, where growing economies are creating huge numbers of people with the means and the desire to buy vehicles. These days you can find all kinds of books offering 10 or 100 easy ways to save the planet. But the planet is not in trouble. Whatever we do, it will continue to spin and move around the sun. We may be in trouble though. We're altering the chemical, physical, and biological features of the biosphere, making it increasingly difficult for tens of thousands of species, including our own, to survive and flourish. Changing course and reining in our demanding appetite and economy is not going to be easy. If everyone buys an electric or hybrid car, changes light bulbs, and carries cloth bags, we'll still be a long way from a sustainable way of living. But thinking about our own personal health and our relationship with the machine may at least get us started down a new road. Learn more at http://www.davidsuzuki.org

13 years

Globe & Mail: Ontario aims to increase cyclist safety

by Beth McKechnie

Globe & Mail Ontario aims to increase cyclist safety Karen Howlett Toronto - From Wednesday's Globe and Mail Published on Tuesday, May. 18, 2010 9:19PM EDT Last updated on Tuesday, May. 18, 2010 9:39PM EDT Making Ontario's roads a little more bike-friendly has become a key priority for Transportation Minister Kathleen Wynne, a cycling enthusiast from her days living in the Netherlands. Ms. Wynne has launched a review of the province's cycling policies. She also appeared receptive to a private member's bill introduced in the legislature on Tuesday that would require drivers to leave a buffer zone of three feet when passing cyclists on city streets, and five feet on highways. "I obviously believe that we should make whatever changes we need to make sure that cyclists are safe on the road," Ms. Wynne told reporters. New Democratic Party transportation critic Cheri DiNovo, who introduced the bill, said similar laws already exist in France, Spain and Germany. In the United States, sixteen states have approved, or are in the process of approving, bicycle-passing laws. The bill would go a long way toward making roads safer for cyclists, Ms. DiNovo said, urging Ms. Wynne to "rise above partisan differences and . for once, do the right thing." Ms. DiNovo added that the leading cause of cyclist fatalities is collisions involving drivers passing bikes. Ms. Wynne acknowledged that Ontario's cycling laws lag well behind those in European countries, which have a long tradition of cars and bikes sharing the road. She related her own experience commuting by bike in the Netherlands, where she lived for three years and where her first two children were born. "I would ride my bike with one child in the front and one child on the back," she said. Ms. DiNovo said her bill would reduce the number of bicycle-related injuries and deaths. Every day, she said, 80 people in Ontario visit an emergency department because of a cycling injury. And cyclists are between seven and 70 times more likely to be injured than those who drive cars. That grim statistic hit home last weekend, when four riders in Quebec were run down and killed. One cyclist died after a collision on a rural highway in the Laurentian Mountains on Saturday; three others died on Friday in a ghastly accident south of Montreal. Ms. DiNovo's bill comes just days after a plan to establish separated bike lanes along Toronto's University Avenue was defeated. Premier Dalton McGuinty said he is not sure the province needs a three-foot rule for cyclists, even though he has his own buffer zone with the media: reporters in the Queen's Park press gallery have been asked to stand at least five feet from him when asking questions. "Just personally, I'm not sure if it's a matter of needing more laws, or a greater sense of respect for one another on the road," he told reporters on Tuesday. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/ontario-aims-to-increase-cycli…

13 years

Globe & Mail: Spate of cycling deaths sparks fear in Quebec's commuter culture (May20'10)

by Beth McKechnie

Globe & Mail Spate of cycling deaths sparks fear in Quebec's commuter culture Les Perreaux Montreal - From Monday's Globe and Mail Published on Sunday, May. 16, 2010 11:09PM EDT Last updated on Sunday, May. 16, 2010 11:11PM EDT Cyclists in Canada's most bike-friendly province are riding in fear and disbelief after four riders were run down and killed in less than 48 hours. Leading a group of a about 100 cyclists on a weekly 70-kilometre Sunday tour, Steve Abramson noticed a change in attitude this weekend among drivers, too, on the suburban streets and quiet country roads just west of Montreal. "We noticed right away that drivers were suddenly extra careful, way more observant than usual, stopping to let us pass," said Mr. Abramson, 77-years-old and a long-time member of the Club Cycliste Beaconsfield. "It's early in the season, so drivers still aren't used to us being out there. It takes three or four dead to suddenly wake them up, it seems. It's unbelievable. . . It's scary, alright." A cyclist died after a collision on a rural highway in the Laurentian Mountains north of Montreal Saturday evening, on the heels of a ghastly accident south of the city on Friday in which six riders were run over, killing three triathletes and injuring three others. Police reported the 44-year-old driver in the Saturday accident on Highway 117 near Val-Morin had two times the legal limit of alcohol in her bloodstream. Jacques Michaud, 57, died in hospital Sunday morning. Alcohol was not a factor in the Friday accident involving six cyclists and a 29-year-old male driver. No charges have been laid as the investigation focused on driver inattention and the condition of the road. The provincial government promised on the weekend to immediately pave the gravel shoulder on the busy secondary Highway 112, which was supposed to have been completed years ago. "I have no doubt the lack of a paved shoulder played a role in this accident, but it's truly an extremely exceptional, almost unbelievable event. I've never heard of anything like it in Quebec," said Suzanne Lareau, the president of Vélo-Québec, after returning from her own Sunday ride. While Quebec has a longstanding image associated with potholes and fast, reckless drivers, no other province has proportionally more cyclists or spends more money to make room for them. Quebec has spent $200-million over 15 years promoting the sport and creating dedicated bike lanes, including the systematic paving of shoulders on small highways. About $88-million has gone into creating a 4,000-kilometre provincial network known as the Route Verte. Municipalities have spent millions more creating their own networks. More than half of Quebec adults identify themselves as cyclists who ride at least once a week, about 50 per cent more than the two provinces next on the list, Ontario and British Columbia. Quebec has a critical mass of cyclists that makes the province safer for the sport than most places in North America, experts say. Quebec has had 12-20 deaths per year since 2000 - about a third the number of deaths in the 1980s, when there were about half as many cyclists on the road. In Canada, about 52 to 73 cyclists died each year from 2003 to 2007 according to the most recent tally available from Transport Canada. "Quebec is the envy of the rest of Canada, the province is much farther ahead in promoting the sport and reducing injuries and fatalities," said Eleanor McMahon, an Ontario cycling safety activist. "Cyclists there have political champions, effective legislation, money invested, they've done so much to encourage the sport." The Quebec accidents were all cyclists were talking about in Burlington, Ont., where Ms. McMahon was wrapping up her Sunday ride. "We really do have a shared vulnerability. Do you know of another pastime where you pack ID before you head out on the road in case you get run over and don't see your loved ones again?" said Ms. McMahon, who founded the bike safety lobby group, Share the Road, after her husband, OPP Sergeant Greg Stobbart, was struck and killed by a vehicle in 2006. Riding in a group dramatically improves cyclist visibility. Multi-bike accidents are rare but trigger a shockwave when they happen. In 2008, two bicycle tourists were killed and two others injured when they were struck by a Honda Civic on the Trans-Canada Highway in Manitoba - a province where paved shoulders are rare on rural highways. Manitoba is one of the shortest stretches for cross-Canada cyclists, but it is often cited as being among the scariest. Last summer, five cyclists were struck but survived after a hit-and-run near Kanata, a suburb of Ottawa. Charges were laid against the vehicle drivers in both cases. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/spate-of-cycling-deaths-sparks…

13 years

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AT-Network May 2010