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WFP: From why Winterpeg to why not? Follow Edmonton's lead and capitalize on frigid reputation (Jan.19'15)
by Beth McKechnie 20 Jan '15

20 Jan '15

>From why Winterpeg to why not?Follow Edmonton's lead and capitalize on frigid reputation ON ARCHITECTUREBy: Brent Bellamy http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/columnists/from-why-winterpeg-to-w… It is mid-January, and through hard crusts of frozen breath on their tightly wrapped scarves, Winnipeggers across the city can be heard muttering to themselves "Why do I live here?" Winnipeg doesn't have many things that can truly be described as world-class, but winter is certainly one of them. For a major city (with a population over 500,000) our January average temperatures are the fourth-coldest on Earth, rivalling cities in Siberia, Mongolia and northern China. In response, over the last 40 years, we have worked to build a city that turns its back on winter. We defend ourselves from it like it's an enemy invader. Our climate-controlled networks sever us from the outside. Portage Avenue was for a century a bustling 12-month, outdoor shopping strip, the retail heart of the city. Then we decided to move to indoor malls, and today we zig-zag in our cars across massive parking lots from one big-box store to the next. We pushed people at our landmark intersection underground, and our sidewalks were emptied by skywalks. The default reaction to everything from segregated bike lanes to active pedestrian sidewalks and great public spaces seems to always be "It's too cold to do that in Winnipeg." We have all heard someone from outside the province call our city Winterpeg and laugh a derogatory giggle. Imagine if we could transform that word into a badge of honour. It is difficult for a city to reach its full potential as a smart, vibrant, livable place with a resigned attitude we must endure the winter months. If Winnipeg is to be globally competitive, attracting investment, tourism and immigration, we can't simply accept a lower quality of life for half the year. Winter is part of who we are, it defines us. It can be an asset, if we make it one. To begin changing our perception of the coldest months, Winnipeg might learn from our friends in Edmonton who have begun taking significant steps toward a long-term cultural shift in their collective perception of winter, beginning to leverage its potential as a social and economic asset that can set them apart in the world. Last year, the city took the bold step of adopting as official policy a Winter City Strategic Plan called For the Love of Winter and have drafted a clear implementation document that is now being executed. Edmonton's Winter City plan was created through an extensive public consultation process that established four key pillars: Winter Life, Winter Design, Winter Economy and Our Winter Story. Each pillar categorizes a set of strategic goals. *-- Winter Life: *The goals of this pillar are to improve winter transportation for pedestrians, cyclists and transit users as well as to simply make it easier to go outside. Strategies to implement these goals include: constructing commercial warming kiosks in public parks and plazas; creating regulations for use of fire in outdoor public spaces; encouraging neighbourhood-scale winter carnivals; constructing heated transit shelters and separated bike lanes; and prioritizing snow clearing for cyclist and pedestrian pathways. *-- Winter Design: *This pillar focuses on creating a set of enforceable design guidelines that prescribe architectural and urban-planning elements to create more livable outdoor environments. These design standards focus on creating microclimates that maximize outdoor comfort by incorporating such ideas as protective wind shelter, outdoor heat sources and increased access to sunlight. Colour, public art and creative lighting elements are also encouraged. *-- Winter Economy: *The economic impact of creating a vibrant winter city is seen as a multi-layered opportunity, from tourism and commercial growth to bigger picture issues such as attracting and retaining investment and young people by improving the quality of civic life year-round. Initiatives to achieve this include developing outdoor winter markets, changing zoning and alcohol bylaws to encourage a winter restaurant patio culture, supporting civic-scale festivals and public events as well as establishing educational, business and research centres that focus on winter-related industry and technology. *-- Our Winter Story:* The final pillar hopes to champion awareness for the winter-city plan within Edmonton and abroad. The goal is to establish local contests, marketing and public-engagement initiatives as well as international branding and tourism campaigns that celebrate Edmonton as a world winter capital. Over the past few years, Winnipeg has begun to informally embrace many of the ideals Edmonton has made official policy. If our city were to initiate a similar plan, there would be a strong base from which to build. Festival du Voyageur is the largest winter carnival in Western Canada, attracting approximately 100,000 visitors. Several years ago, the well-publicized battle between The Forks and Ottawa's Rideau Canal for the title of World's Longest Skating Rink raised awareness for winter activity along the rivers. Since then, the warming huts international design competition has become famous worldwide and has spawned the RAW:almond pop-up restaurant, which will again provide the experience of fine dining on the frozen Red River. A competition was held for a new restaurant design this year, won by U.K. architectural firm OS31, which proposed a dramatic tent structure currently under construction. A great opportunity exists to follow Edmonton's lead by building on these initiatives and establishing a formal plan to transform Winnipeg's winter into an asset that makes us a global model for winter-city living and a world leader in cold-weather design. To most of the world, our frigid isolation is as exotic as any tropical island or rainforest. There is a tourism experience here that can be found in few places in the world. Through good design, we can build a city that embraces what makes it unique, improving our own quality of life and attracting visitors wanting the Winnipeg experience. Winnipeg explodes with activities in the summer, from the Fringe and Folk festivals to the St. Norbert Farmers' Market and patios of Corydon Avenue. Edmonton is demonstrating with planning and smart design, some level of this can happen in the winter, as well. Setting goals and outlining ways to achieve them in formal policy could transform our perceptions of Winterpeg and make people instead ask themselves, "Why don't I live there?" Brent Bellamy is senior design architect for Number Ten Architectural Group bbellamy(a)numberten.com Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition January 19, 2015 B6

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AT Webinar: Level of Service for Peds and Cyclists, Wed, Jan 21, 2-3pm, EcoCentre
by Beth McKechnie 19 Jan '15

19 Jan '15

Green Action Centre and Bike Winnipeg invite you to join us for a local viewing of the following APBP webinar: *Level of Service for Pedestrians and Cyclists. * This webinar viewing takes place in the EcoCentre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> boardroom (3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave) and will be followed by group discussion of local applications. RSVPs appreciated but not necessary. Hope to see you then! cheers, Beth * * * * * Level of Service for Pedestrians and Cyclists *Wednesday, January 21st, 2-3 p.m., EcoCentre Boardroom* Learn about Level of Service and its relationship to bicycling and walking, with specific reference to the Highway Capacity Manual. Presenters describe the performance measures that transportation engineers and planners use related to signalized and unsignalized intersections; identify points where multimodal travel can be more effectively incorporated into traditional measures; explain emerging measures that are being considered in the update the Highway Capacity Manual by researchers; and discuss specific treatments that should be considered. *Presenters* - Nick Foster, Senior Planner, Kittelson and Associates - Peter Koonce, Signals and Street Lighting Manager, Portland Bureau of Transportation

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Reminder: AT-Policies in Canada - WEBINAR
by Jackie Avent 16 Jan '15

16 Jan '15

Good Afternoon, Green Action Centre will be hosting this upcoming webinar from 12 - 1 pm on Tuesday January 20th at the Manitoba Eco-Centre (3rd Floor, 303 Portage Avenue), followed by a brief discussion. Hope you can bring your lunch and join us! Jackie [image: Active Transportation Policy Case Studies and Maps Webinar] Active Transportation Policy Case Studies and Maps Webinar What: Webinar When: January 20, 2015 Time: 12:00 PM CDT Active Transportation Policy Case Studies and Maps Webinar The Canadian Partnership Against Cancer will host a one-hour webinar on January 20th from 12:00pm-1:00pm CDT. By attending you'll learn about our active transportation policy resources and how they can be applied to your work: - Active Transportation Policy Case Studies <http://www.cancerview.ca/policycasestudies> - Active Transportation Policy Case Study Summary Sheets - Canadian Municipal Active Transportation Policy Map <http://www.cancerview.ca/cv/portal/Home/PreventionAndScreening/PSProfession…> - Provincial/Territorial Active Transportation Policy Maps <http://www.cancerview.ca/cv/portal/Home/PreventionAndScreening/PSProfession…> **Note: This webinar will only be offered in English.* -- *Jackie Avent* | Active and Safe Routes to School Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3773 *|* Find us here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>

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Videos from BC Transit
by Jackie Avent 15 Jan '15

15 Jan '15

Here are a couple of videos from BC Transit that are worth checking out quickly... Apparently, there'll be a couple more made too! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iYx94ia4Ts - One More Lap https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLRrgCjE2po - Uphill -- *Jackie Avent* | Active and Safe Routes to School Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3773 *|* Find us here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>

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Winter Bike to Work Day - Friday, February 13th - Commit Today
by Anders Swanson 14 Jan '15

14 Jan '15

Dear Winnipeg, It is not often that an event developed here takes over the world. The website for the 3rd annual international Winter Bike to Work Day <http://winterbiketoworkday.org/> is now live, and it has real-time results (in the form a cool world map) <http://winterbiketoworkday.org/#map> for the first time ever. Any business, organization or person can plan a fun celebratory event <http://winterbiketoworkday.org/#plan> (its pretty darn easy). the only thing you have to do though is commit to ride <http://winterbiketoworkday.org/commit> and get out there on the 13th. For the love of all things holy, just make sure that Oulu or Trondheim (....or Saskatoon or Brandon for that matter) don't make us look too bad. ;) This is our event after all. Cheers, Anders Part of the organizing team... *Winter Bike to Work Day* <http://winterbiketoworkday.org/> *Friday, February 13th, 2015* Twitter <https://twitter.com/WinterBike2Work> | Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/WinterBikeToWorkDay>

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Survey on cyclist behaviour
by Jackie Avent 13 Jan '15

13 Jan '15

There is a survey being done by the University of Denver about why cyclists tend to break traffic laws. They are trying to understand the psychology behind the actions - and whether it's because cyclists do it for visibility and to feel and/or be safer on the roads. The direct link to the survey is here: http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/1885930/bikingbad, and there's an article offering background with a link to the survey as well here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/01/09/lets-talk-seriou… Jackie -- *Jackie Avent* | Active and Safe Routes to School Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3773 *|* Find us here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>

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Seattle dog rides bus by herself to dog park
by Beth McKechnie 13 Jan '15

13 Jan '15

A little smile for a nippy Tuesday afternoon. I wonder if they have a special rate for dogs? http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Seattle-dogs-rush-hour-ride-on-the-bus-b…

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WFP: Who has the white stuff? (Jan.10'15)
by Beth McKechnie 11 Jan '15

11 Jan '15

Who has the white stuff?We look at the snow-clearing policies of six Canadian cities to see how they measure up By: Mia Rabson http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/who-has-the-white-stuff-288134561.ht… OTTAWA -- It's early January in the nation's capital and the city is digging out from just the second storm of the year. On Saturday, Jan. 3, Ottawa had to deal with an 18-centimetre dump of snow, followed the next day by 11 millimetres of rain and freezing rain. But by Sunday night, just over 24 hours after the storm began, most streets were clear, residential sidewalks had been plowed and cars and people were moving around the city without much trouble. [image: Sean Kilpatrick/ THE CANADIAN PRESS] <http://media.winnipegfreepress.com/images/800*577/6460839.jpg> Enlarge Image <http://media.winnipegfreepress.com/images/800*577/6460839.jpg> Sean Kilpatrick/ THE CANADIAN PRESS (CP) SNOW REMOVAL BUDGETS *2014 budget breakdown per centimetre of snow* *MONTREAL* $151.5 million (annual budget) for 184.2 cm of snow $822,475.57 per cm *TORONTO* $85 million for 139.6 cm $608,882.53 per cm *EDMONTON* $60 million for 102.9 cm $583,090.38 per cm *OTTAWA* $58 million for 166.6 cm $348,139.26 per cm *WINNIPEG* $40.6 million for 118.4 cm $342,905.40 per cm *HALIFAX** $24.2 million for 287.5 cm $84,173.92 per cm * Halifax budget and snowfall was done on fiscal year 2013-14, not calendar year 2014 More than 2,000 kilometres away in Winnipeg, things weren't so rosy. After 16 cm of snow fell on Jan. 1 and 2, new Mayor Brian Bowman was steamed about the quality of snow clearing. He said he's looking at whether more of the work should be given to city crews rather than private contractors and investigating whether private contractors are meeting their required service standards. He told reporters Wednesday more sand should have been put down and more effort made to remove ruts. Slippery streets and the buildup of ruts last winter led to a huge outcry from Winnipeg drivers and contributed to an increase in accidents that compelled Manitoba Public Insurance to ask for a rate increase to cover the added claims. Snow clearing and winter street maintenance are major headaches in almost every city east of British Columbia. Unpredictable weather and high expectations of residents mean even in small snowstorms, the phones ring off the hook with complaints. "It's a very visible public service that really impacts everyone," said Darrin Natolino, superintendent of winter works for the Halifax Regional Municipality. If you want the gold standard of snow clearing, one must look to Quebec, where Montreal spent more on snow clearing last year than Winnipeg has in the last five years. With a budget of $155 million this year, the city will deploy 370 road and sidewalk salting trucks, and 1,000 snowplows, graders, front-end loaders and sidewalk plows, to clear more than 10,000 km of roads and sidewalks of snow and ice. As soon as 2.5 cm of snow is on the ground, the city goes into clearing mode and doesn't stop until the city is clear, usually within five days unless it's a major storm. Montreal also removes most of the snowbanks, spending as much as 70 per cent of its snow-clearing budget on snow removal. In 2013-14, Montreal spent nearly $840,000 for every centimetre of snow that fell. Snowfall is so unpredictable, all cities find it hard to budget. In November and December 2013, Halifax had to clear away 83 cm of snow. A year later, only seven cm fell in those months. Last year, Winnipeg blew its yearly snow-clearing budget by the end of March. Ottawa and Toronto were well over budget before the end of February. All cities classify streets as different priority levels; most clear expressways and main arteries to the pavement but leave a little snowpack on residential streets. But that is about where the similarities end. Each city has different methods of clearing. Some, like Winnipeg, use mostly private contractors. Others split the work between the two, while cities such as Edmonton use almost exclusively city crews to do the work. Toronto and Ottawa use monitoring stations around the city to keep track of surface temperatures and dew points, helping predict when ice is forming and keeping notes on when precipitation begins. It helps those cities deploy crews as soon as possible. Most clear sidewalks, although Halifax just started doing that, Toronto doesn't do it on residential streets downtown and Edmonton doesn't do it on residential streets at all. Toronto and Winnipeg will clear part of the windrows left in front of residential driveways but the rest generally leave that to residents. Edmonton recycles most of the sand it uses. Before a storm ever begins, crews in Ottawa and Montreal hit the ground with salters and de-icers, laying down a brine liquid to pre-treat roads and prevent snow from adhering to the pavement, which makes it much easier to clear. Ottawa then sends out its plows to the main roads as soon as the snow starts to fall, while most other cities wait for at least two or three centimetres to accumulate. "We get out there as soon as we can to prevent that bond (to the pavement)," said Luc Gagné, manager of road services in Ottawa. Cities such as Winnipeg and Edmonton are at a disadvantage here because it's usually too cold for salt or pre-treat brine liquid to work. Ottawa also aims to have main roads cleared within four hours of the end of a storm, and residential streets are to be done within 10 hours. Winnipeg and Edmonton aim to clear the main roads within 36 hours and residential roads not for five days. It's hard to compare costs directly, because different climates, different amounts of snowfall, and different city sizes all affect what is done. And standards generally go out the window when a major storm hits, because even the cities with budgets like Montreal's can't keep up. On Jan. 5, people returned to work and school in that city following a weekend storm that delivered 20 cm of snow and 30 mm of rain that left the ground so icy some people strapped on skates instead of boots to traverse the sidewalks. Toronto knows this problem all too well. Trevor Tenn, acting director of transportation services in Toronto, says as soon as someone outside the city starts asking about snow clearing, he knows 1999 is going to come up. More than 118 cm of snow fell on the city in just two weeks, prompting mayor Mel Lastman to call in the army to help dig out the country's largest metropolis. "We'll never live that one down," said Tenn. Here's the breakdown: *Amount of snowfall required before crews hit freeways, main arteries with plows* Ottawa: as soon as snowfall begins Montreal: 2.5 cm Halifax: 2 cm Toronto: 2 cm for expressways, 5 cm for major and minor arterials and collector streets Edmonton: 3 cm Winnipeg: 3 cm *Time expected to clear freeways and main arteries from the end of a storm* Ottawa: 2-4 hours Toronto: 2-3 hours for expressways, 6-14 hours for other main roads. Halifax: 12 hours Montreal: less than five days if less than 20 cm, greater than five days if more than 30 cm (this applies to the entire city not just the main streets) Edmonton: 36 hours Winnipeg: 36 hours *Snowfall amount required before residential streets are cleared* Montreal: 2.5 cm Ottawa: 7 cm Toronto: 8 cm Edmonton: 10 cm (clearing doesn't begin until after main streets are cleared) Winnipeg: 10 cm (clearing doesn't begin until after main streets are cleared) Halifax: 10 cm *Time expected to clear residential roads of snow* Ottawa: 10 hours Toronto: 14-16 hours Halifax: 36 hours Montreal: within five days (Unless more than 30 cm of snow falls, then it can be longer) Winnipeg: five days Edmonton: five days *Kilometres of roads to plow* Toronto: 5,600 km Ottawa: 5,700 km Montreal: 5,600 km Edmonton: 4,700 km Winnipeg: 4,400 km Halifax: 3,800 km *Amount of salt, sand, pre-treat liquid used* Ottawa: 180,000 tonnes salt, 4.5 million litres of pretreat liquid Montreal: 140,000 tonnes salt Toronto: 130,000 tonnes salt, 2.3 million litres of pretreat liquid Winnipeg: 70,000 tonnes sand, 20,000 tonnes salt Edmonton: 18,800 tonnes salt, 97,691 tonnes of street sand, 34,354 tonnes of rock chips, 143,981 litres of pretreat liquid Halifax: n/a mia.rabson(a)freepress.mb.ca Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition January 10, 2015 A6

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Bike Week 2015
by Dave Elmore 10 Jan '15

10 Jan '15

Bike Week Winnipeg <http://www.bikeweekwinnipeg.com/> is busy planning for 2015 and we are planning to make it bigger and better than 2014. Due to the new Anti-Spam legislation we are no longer able to email Bike Week updates to past subscribers. Whether you were a past participant or new to Bike Week, please sign up for our e-newsletter <http://www.bikeweekwinnipeg.com/register/> and stay informed of all the fun events planned for 2015. If you would like to learn more about this event please visit our website at www.bikeweekwinnipeg.com <http://www.bikeweekwinnipeg.com> . Thanks Dave o _ ( \ _ (X)\ /(X)

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Road diet decision reversal from the US (Citylab article)
by Patman, David 09 Jan '15

09 Jan '15

Not local, but of interest - unfortunately, this is more common that it should be in North America - reversing a decision on a road diet: http://www.citylab.com/commute/2015/01/why-one-florida-city-reversed-its-ro… David Patman, P. Eng. Transit Planner Winnipeg Transit | Service Development Division 421 Osborne Street | Winnipeg, Manitoba R3L 2A2 P: 204-986-5737 | dpatman(a)winnipeg.ca<mailto:dpatman@winnipeg.ca>

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Immediate short-term contract position with Trails Manitoba
by Beth McKechnie 07 Jan '15

07 Jan '15

Submission deadline: Wednesday, January 14th Find details attached or online here: http://trailsmanitoba.ca/2015/01/rfp-trail-completion-oversight/

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AT-Policies in Canada - WEBINAR
by Jackie Avent 06 Jan '15

06 Jan '15

Good Evening, Green Action Centre will be hosting this upcoming webinar from 12 - 1 pm on Tuesday January 20th at the Manitoba Eco-Centre (3rd Floor, 303 Portage Avenue), followed by a brief discussion. Hope you can bring your lunch and join us! Jackie [image: Active Transportation Policy Case Studies and Maps Webinar] Active Transportation Policy Case Studies and Maps Webinar What: Webinar When: January 20, 2015 Time: 12:00 PM CDT Active Transportation Policy Case Studies and Maps Webinar The Canadian Partnership Against Cancer will host a one-hour webinar on January 20th from 12:00pm-1:00pm CDT. By attending you'll learn about our active transportation policy resources and how they can be applied to your work: - Active Transportation Policy Case Studies <http://www.cancerview.ca/policycasestudies> - Active Transportation Policy Case Study Summary Sheets <hhtp://www.cancerview.ca/policycasestudies> - Canadian Municipal Active Transportation Policy Map <http://www.cancerview.ca/cv/portal/Home/PreventionAndScreening/PSProfession…> - Provincial/Territorial Active Transportation Policy Maps <http://www.cancerview.ca/cv/portal/Home/PreventionAndScreening/PSProfession…> **Note: This webinar will only be offered in English.* -- *Jackie Avent* | Active and Safe Routes to School Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3773 *|* Find us here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>

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Mark Your Calendar! 2015 APBP Webinar Schedule
by Beth McKechnie 06 Jan '15

06 Jan '15

Hello everyone, Please mark your calendar for this year's line-up of excellent webinars from the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals (APBP). Note that they are typically held on the 3rd Wednesday of the month from 2:00-3:00 pm local time. Green Action Centre and Bike Winnipeg partner to pay for these webinars and then guest host a local viewing at no charge to anyone who wishes to join us for the viewing and discussion afterward. These take place at the EcoCentre boardroom (3rd Floor, 303 Portage Ave above MEC). I will send out more details on the January 21st webinar closer to the date. Hope you can join us! cheers, Beth * * * * * Jan 21 Level of Service for Pedestrians and Cyclists Feb 18 New Tools for Estimating Walking and Bicycling Demand Mar 18Pedestrian and Bicycle Counting Programs Apr 15Legal Rights and Issues for Pedestrians and Bicyclists May 20 Law Enforcement Strategies to Improve Safety for Peds and Bikes Jun 17First Mile / Last Mile Connections to Transit Jul 15Health in All Policies Aug 19 Streetscape Design to Improve Walking and Bicycling Sep 16Shared Streets, Slow Streets Oct 21 Tactical Urbanism Nov 18Bike Boxes Dec 16 The Best Guides and Manuals You've Never Heard Of

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Thompson Citizen: Council approves multi-use path guidelines
by Beth McKechnie 30 Dec '14

30 Dec '14

Council approves multi-use path guidelines Molly Gibson Kirby <http://www.thompsoncitizen.net/authors?author=Molly%20Gibson%20Kirby> / Thompson Citizen December 30, 2014 11:32 AM http://www.thompsoncitizen.net/news/thompson/council-approves-multi-use-pat… The multi-use pathways around the city of Thompson now come complete with guidelines to help residents know what is allowed on these walkways. Northern Regional Health Authority (NRHA) health promotion co-ordinator Bruce Krentz and Michael Isaac, medical officer of health in Winnipeg, spoke about active transportation during the Dec. 15 council meeting. “I firmly believe we need to write the good news story that we want to read someday. So I’ve written a news story that I hope to read in the *Thompson Citizen* on Dec. 15, 2024, 10 years from now.” Says Isaac. In the make-believe article, Isaac touched on areas that Thompson currently, in 2014, is succeeding at. This included the first health summit. “What the community told us that we needed to work together to create a community where making the healthy choice is the easy choice and create opportunities for every resident to be healthy.” Isaac says Thompson was one of the first communities in the region to recognize the importance of active transportation, such as the multi-use pathways. Since then, active transportation has become the number one recommendation in the master parks plan, and it’s one of the key themes in the sustainable community plan. “These active transportation networks allow people to use their own power to get around, decreasing the amount of time they are sitting. They also separate car and truck traffic from cyclists and pedestrians, reducing the chance of injury.” These pathways, Isaac says, are well-connected, well-maintained, easily navigated and lead to all major sites in the city. The newly approved guidelines say active transportation uses human power. This includes anything without a motor, with the exception of motorized wheelchairs, such as walking, cycling, in-line skating, skateboarding and skiing. All users should keep to the right while using the path, and pass on the left, just like a road. There is a speed limit of 20 kilometres an hour, and cyclists must have front and rear reflectors, and warn pedestrians when approaching. A cyclist can do this by using a bell, a horn or the use of a vocal warning. Krentz said about a year-and-a-half ago, active transportation became a talking point in Thompson. After presentations to the recreation and public works committee, a citizens committee was formed that helped guide it into what it stands for today. “We started to look at our active transportation network on a bigger scale. We were seeing what pieces were maybe missing, what could we change, and stuff like that. We spent a fair bit of time talking about that, and we have since met with the committees. What we’re committed to now is working together to make a five-year plan for the city, so if funding becomes available through the budget process, it’s easy to see where we get from Point A to Point B.” Isaac says it’s about changing the trajectory of health in the region, all by working together to prevent disease. “We want people to wear out the soles of their shoes, the chains on their bikes, and the wheels on their rollerblades. Thompson is giving the residents every chance to do that with their active transportation networks and commitment to healthy city planning.” Krentz finished the presentation by saying the active transportation committee wants to work on two major areas - snow clearing and creating bike lanes for this upcoming summer. © Copyright 2014 Thompson Citizen

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Health Wealth and Happiness - Gil Penalosa presents at TEDCity
by Jackie Avent 20 Dec '14

20 Dec '14

Great video to inspire! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKfuSdQDTA8 -- *Jackie Avent* | Active and Safe Routes to School Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3773 *|* Find us here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>

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A little Christmas/Holiday cheer
by Stacy Matwick 17 Dec '14

17 Dec '14

How to Bike Home Your Christmas Tree in 11 Simple Steps | | | | | | | | | | | How to Bike Home Your Christmas Tree in 11 Simple StepsDon't forget bungee cords, peanut butter, and the kindness of strangers. | | | | View on www.citylab.com | Preview by Yahoo | | | | |

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AT webinar: Getting to Better Outcomes from Public Engagement, Wed, Dec 17th, 2-3:15, EcoCentre
by Beth McKechnie 15 Dec '14

15 Dec '14

[Apologies for the late notice...] Green Action Centre and Bike Winnipeg invite you to join us for a local viewing of the following APBP webinar: *Getting to Better Outcomes from Public Engagement. * This 75-minute webinar viewing takes place in the EcoCentre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> boardroom (3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave) and will be followed by group discussion of local applications. RSVPs appreciated but not necessary. Hope to see you then! cheers, Beth * * * * * Getting to Better Outcomes from Public Engagement *Wednesday, December 17th, 2:00-3:15 p.m., EcoCentre Boardroom* NOTE: This is a 75-minute webinar. *Key takeaways* • Understand key psychological concepts that affect public process • Give examples of successful techniques for public engagement • Describe how public process can adapt to different types of projects *Description* Join us for this session to explore ways to improve the public engagement process. Presenters from St. Paul, Memphis and Los Angeles offer three different perspectives on getting better outcomes from public meetings and suggest techniques for expanding outreach and gaining support. Learn about psychological concepts that can be applied to add transparency and consistency to the public process while increasing insight and buy-in. Find out how the City of Memphis scales outreach efforts to the size and impact of the project, and how pop-up workshops can engage new stakeholder groups and generate better input. *Presenters* - Emily P. G. Erickson - Jessie Holzer, Planner, Alta Planning + Design - Kyle Wagenschutz, Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator, City of Memphis

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Canada Bikes: Seeking Director of Development
by Anders Swanson 10 Dec '14

10 Dec '14

Hi, Canada Bikes is looking for the right person to help foster a dialogue around cycling across the country. It's time Canadians had a cross-country conversation about bikes and what they mean to our past, present and future. Canada Bikes is seeking an energetic, knowledgeable and ambitious person to help us grow our voice for cycling-as-transportation at the national level. You'll be starting with a pretty easy win: working with individuals and organizations accross the country to plan and host the second annual national event "Bike Day in Canada in May 2015. The idea is to use this fun and simple event as a springboard for collaboration across Canada. This is a self-funded position, suitable for starters keen and able to make connections, willingto engage new people and, above all, raise some cash. Although self-funded, you'll have a head start. You will have board support in fundraising and budgeting, lessons-learned from last year's event and considerable control over how you approach your own tasks. All the details on the position, including anticipated renumeration and preferred skill set are here: http://canadabikes.org/component/content/article/2-uncategorised/72-job-off… Talk to us. Feel free to use the contact info in the job offer, or call me here locally in Winnipeg for further info or to see if it might be the right fit for you. Feel free to pass this on widely. Cheers, Anders Swanson on behalf of the board of Canada Bikes 204-797-1962

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linking air pollution and health
by Cyndi Otfinowski 09 Dec '14

09 Dec '14

HI, Interesting story between air pollution and risk of breast cancer... "Home "Possible link between air pollution and breast cancer" http://www.mcgill.ca/channels/news/possible-link-between-air-pollution-and-… Sorry, have not read the article. Cyndi

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#HOMETOWNPROUD
by Jackie Avent 05 Dec '14

05 Dec '14

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities is garnering input from Canadians about what might make their communities all-round better places to live, and collecting stories about what makes folks proud of where they live. I've submitted an idea - you can check it out here <http://hometownproud.fcm.ca/13699/helping_kids_find_better_ways_to_get_arou…> (voting for it if you like) and submit your own idea while you're at it! Happy Friday, Jackie -- *Jackie Avent* | Active and Safe Routes to School Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3773 *|* Find us here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>

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Winter cycling - Friday fun
by Beth McKechnie 05 Dec '14

05 Dec '14

Great to see so many people winter cycling this year in Winnipeg. I've noticed more snow (fat tire) bikes out on the road but have not yet seen one of these: http://www.blessthisstuff.com/stuff/sports/radical-sports/ktrack-snow-bike-…

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Cycle of Giving this weekend
by Dave Elmore 04 Dec '14

04 Dec '14

If you haven't already signed up to help or donated kids bikes/parts or $, just a reminder that the 4th annual Cycle of Giving takes place this weekend at Orioles Community Centre, 448 Burnell St from 12 noon on Saturday, December 6th to 12 noon on Sunday December 7th. Cycle of Giving is a 24 Hour Bike Building Marathon bringing together volunteers to build reconditioned bicycles for Winnipeg children in need. Last year this event built over 300 bikes and with your help we can build even more. With your generous support we also hope to raise over $15,000 to support free bicycle programming in Winnipeg. This weekend we will turn Orioles Community Centre into a magical workshop where salvaged bicycles are turned into holiday dreams come true. Find out how you can support the Cycle of Giving at www.thewrench.ca <http://www.thewrench.ca> . Drop by and lend a hand or donate to help support the WRENCH's bike programming for youth. Let's make bicycle dreams come true!

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Fwd: FW: Don't miss the upcoming webinar on Surveying & School Travel Planning!
by Shoni Litinsky 04 Dec '14

04 Dec '14

Please share widely - if you are interested in active school travel and want to learn more about tracking tools and data collection, this is the webinar for you! [image: ASRTS banner] *JOIN US FOR A SCHOOL TRAVEL PLANNING WEBINAR * *Putting the Fun into Surveying for Active & Sustainable School Travel Planning* *Tuesday, December 9, 2014 from 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM (EDT)* Counting, collecting, mapping and using baseline and follow-up data can involve and inspire school travel champions of all ages, and help decision-makers provide safe routes to school. Please join us December 9 for a webinar that showcases two innovative approaches that can support your School Travel Planning projects. Both presentations were a hit at the recent Walk21 Sydney 2014 conference - well worth the 90 minutes of your time! There will be a discussion period after each presentation: - *The Living Streets Travel Tracker. A complete web-based monitoring and rewards system that uses a classroom whiteboard.* The Travel Tracker is a new web-based tool which works alongside WoW (Walk once a Week), Living Streets' long term Walk to School programme, to make the experience bigger, bolder and more interactive than ever before. It acts as a digital alternative to wallcharts for recording journeys to school, delivering all of the same functions, plus a whole lot more. Combined with monthly badges, the Travel Tracker forms a complete monitoring and rewards system fit for Strider's journey into the future! Presenter: Chris Thompson, Schools and Projects Coordinator, Living Streets Scotland. - *Don't Let the Robots Win: The power of CounterPoint AND a new hi-tech vision of School Travel Planning.* CounterPoint is that little counting app designed around teenaged traffic engineers and its making a splash. Come learn what's been piloted in real-life, the changes made and fantastic design for you to use! It's meant to be your new Super-Duper Tool slash Video Game of the Future! We're making it easy to get started in School Travel Planning, from Reykjavik to Moose Jaw. All it takes is a one teacher and one classroom click. Then... School by School and Community by Community - setting a new standard in walkability and bike-ability measurement that is elegant, clear, fun and addictive! Presenter: Anders Swanson, Director of Software Development / Program design, Green Action Centre, Manitoba, Canada. *To register, click here. <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0010MoJ2MB-1jIOoCpu0i-gemkOSIuFm-YbndB_usft7eC-…> * Production of this webinar is made possible through a financial contribution from Loblaw. [image: GCC logo] Green Communities Canada Canada Walks *Forward this email <http://ui.constantcontact.com/sa/fwtf.jsp?llr=a889zicab&m=1101954641760&ea=…>* <http://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=un&m=001A4zklBfN4cVp2sRA8Zz8WQ%3D%3…> This email was sent to asrts(a)sympatico.ca by asrts(a)greencommunitiescanada.org | Update Profile/Email Address <http://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=oo&m=001A4zklBfN4cVp2sRA8Zz8WQ%3D%3…> | Rapid removal with SafeUnsubscribe <http://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=un&m=001A4zklBfN4cVp2sRA8Zz8WQ%3D%3…>™ | Privacy Policy <http://ui.constantcontact.com/roving/CCPrivacyPolicy.jsp>. <http://www.constantcontact.com/index.jsp?pn=quidnovis&cc=TEM_BusLet_003> Canada Walks | 416 Chambers Street, 2nd Floor | Peterborough | K9H 3V1 | Canada -- *Shoni Madden* | Active and Safe Routes to School Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3773 Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/> Find us here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> * Please note that my regular office hours are Tuesdays/Thursdays. I will respond to your communication at this time.

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NEW CASE STUDIES, MAPS + WEBINAR: Active Transportation Policies in Canada // NOUVELLES ÉTUDES DE CAS, CARTES + WEBINAIRE : Politiques de transport actif au Canada
by Beth McKechnie 01 Dec '14

01 Dec '14

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Kendall Tisdale <Kendall.Tisdale(a)partnershipagainstcancer.ca> Date: 2014-12-01 8:32 GMT-06:00 Subject: NEW CASE STUDIES, MAPS + WEBINAR: Active Transportation Policies in Canada *<La version française de ce courriel suit la version anglaise.>* Dear Colleagues, The Canadian Partnership Against Cancer has developed a number of resources to support your work on active transportation policy in Canada: · *Active Transportation Policy Case Studies* <http://www.cancerview.ca/policycasestudies> documenting policy development in three Canadian municipalities – Vancouver, Red Deer and Hamilton. · *Active Transportation Policy Case Study Summary Sheets* providing an *overview of the cases* <http://www.cancerview.ca/idc/groups/public/documents/webcontent/overview_en…>, and highlighting key cross-case themes: *evidence* <http://www.cancerview.ca/idc/groups/public/documents/webcontent/evidence_en…>, *framing* <http://www.cancerview.ca/idc/groups/public/documents/webcontent/framing_en_…>, *public engagement* <http://www.cancerview.ca/idc/groups/public/documents/webcontent/engagement_…>, *partners* <http://www.cancerview.ca/idc/groups/public/documents/webcontent/partners_en…>, and *public health roles* <http://www.cancerview.ca/idc/groups/public/documents/webcontent/public_heal…> . · *Canadian Municipal Active Transportation Policy Map* <http://www.cancerview.ca/cv/portal/Home/PreventionAndScreening/PSProfession…> with more than 4000 municipalities across Canada we need your help to find and add active transportation policies – it is easy to add your jurisdiction’s policy to the map, simply click here! · *Canadian Provincial/Territorial Active Transportation Policy Map* <http://www.cancerview.ca/cv/portal/Home/PreventionAndScreening/PSProfession…> · *Prevention Policies Directory* <http://www.cancerview.ca/preventionpolicies> provides bilingual access to Canadian cancer and chronic disease prevention policies at the federal, provincial/territorial and municipal levels, including policies on the built environment and active transportation. · A *free*, *one-hour webinar* *in January 2015* on how to use and apply these active transportation policy resources to your work – *register today* <http://cpac.fluidsurveys.com/surveys/CPAC/active-transportation-policy-webi…> ! *JANUARY WEBINAR* Want to learn more about our active transportation policy resources and how they can inform your work? Please register <http://cpac.fluidsurveys.com/surveys/CPAC/active-transportation-policy-webi…> for our *free webinar *on *Tuesday, January 20th, 2015 from 1:00-2:00pm EDT*. *Please note: this webinar will be delivered in English only.* *FOR MORE INFORMATION* Please contact Kendall Tisdale, Prevention Analyst at kendall.tisdale(a)partnershipagainstcancer.ca or 416-915-9222 ext 5781. Best regards, Kendall Tisdale Prevention Analyst Chers collègues, Le Partenariat canadien contre le cancer a mis en place un certain nombre de ressources pour soutenir votre travail sur une politique de transport actif au Canada : · Les *Études de cas de la politique de transport actif* <http://www.cancerview.ca/cv/portal/Home/PreventionAndScreening/PSProfession…> documentent l’élaboration d’une politique dans trois municipalités canadiennes – Vancouver, Red Deer et Hamilton. · Les* relevés récapitulatifs des études de cas de la politique de transport actif *fournissent un *aperçu des cas* <http://www.cancerview.ca/idc/groups/public/documents/webcontent/overview_fr…> et soulignent des thèmes clés communs aux différents cas : *données probantes* <http://www.cancerview.ca/idc/groups/public/documents/webcontent/evidence_fr…>, *formulation* <http://www.cancerview.ca/idc/groups/public/documents/webcontent/framing_fr_…>, *mobilisation du public*, <http://www.cancerview.ca/idc/groups/public/documents/webcontent/engagement_…> *partenaires* <http://www.cancerview.ca/idc/groups/public/documents/webcontent/partners_fr…> et *rôles de la santé publique* <http://www.cancerview.ca/idc/groups/public/documents/webcontent/public_heal…> . · La *carte de la politique de transport actif des municipalités canadiennes* <http://www.cancerview.ca/cv/portal/Home/PreventionAndScreening/PSProfession…> inclut plus de 4000 municipalités au Canada. Nous avons besoin de votre aide pour trouver et ajouter des politiques de transport actif – il est facile d’ajouter la politique de votre municipalité à la carte, il suffit de cliquer ici! · *Carte de la politique de transport actif des provinces/territoires canadiens* <http://www.cancerview.ca/cv/portal/Home/PreventionAndScreening/PSProfession…> · Le *Répertoire des politiques de prévention* <http://www.cancerview.ca/cv/portal/Home/PreventionAndScreening/PSProfession…> fournit un accès bilingue aux politiques canadiennes de prévention du cancer et des maladies chroniques aux niveaux fédéral, provincial/territorial et municipal, incluant les politiques sur l’environnement bâti et le transport actif. · Un *webinaire gratuit d’une durée d’une heure se tiendra en janvier 2015* sur la façon d’utiliser et d’appliquer ces ressources en matière de politique de transport actif à votre travail – *inscrivez-vous maintenant* <http://cpac.fluidsurveys.com/surveys/CPAC/active-transportation-policy-webi…> ! *WEBINAIRE DE JANVIER* Vous voulez en apprendre plus sur nos ressources en matière de politique de transport actif et comment elles peuvent éclairer votre travail? Veuillez vous inscrire <http://cpac.fluidsurveys.com/surveys/CPAC/active-transportation-policy-webi…> à notre *webinaire gratuit *qui se tiendra* le mardi 20 janvier 2015 de 13 h à 14 h HAE*. *Prière de noter que ce webinaire se tiendra en anglais seulement.* *POUR PLUS D’INFORMATION* Prière de contacter Kendall Tisdale, analyste en prévention à l’adresse kendall.tisdale(a)partnershipagainstcancer.ca ou au 416-915-9222, poste 5781. Très cordialement, Kendall Tisdale Analyste en prévention ------------------------------ This e-mail message (and any attachments) may contain confidential and/or privileged information and is for the sole use of the intended recipient. If you have received this e-mail in error, kindly contact the sender promptly and delete all copies of this e-mail and its contents. The disclosure, distribution or copying of this message by anyone other than the intended recipient is strictly prohibited. Opinions, conclusions or other information contained in this e-mail may not represent views of the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer. Le présent courriel (et toutes pièces jointes) pourrait contenir des renseignements confidentiels et/ou privilégiés et est conçu pour l’usage exclusif du destinataire. Si vous avez reçu ce courriel par erreur, je vous remercie de communiquer avec l’expéditeur immédiatement et de supprimer toutes les copies de ce courriel, ainsi que son contenu. La divulgation, la distribution ou toute reproduction de ce message par une personne autre que le destinataire est strictement interdite. Les opinions, conclusions ou autres renseignements contenus dans ce courriel pourraient ne pas représenter les opinions du Partenariat canadien contre le cancer.

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Portage Daily Graphic: bicycle co-op program inspired after agent of change attempts to launch one for Mission Possibilities (Nov.27'14)
by Beth McKechnie 28 Nov '14

28 Nov '14

Bicycle co-op program inspired after agent of change attempts to launch one for Mission Possibilities By Johnna Ruocco <http://www.portagedailygraphic.com/author/johnna-ruocco>, The Graphic Thursday, November 27, 2014 http://www.portagedailygraphic.com/2014/11/27/bicycle-co-op-program-inspire… A new active transportation program may be seen soon in Portage la Prairie — and all because of an unsuccessful attempt at launching one for Mission Possibilities. Guy Moffat was thrilled about the opportunity to be an agent of change in the Portage la Prairie and District Chamber of Commerce and PCRC initiative Mission Possibilities, which saw nine members of the community receive $100 with 30 days to make a positive change in the community. It wasn’t until the chamber and PCRC gave him all the details that he began to get nervous. “Because of my personality, I want to make a really big change, and how can I get that accomplished with $100. So it was just running through all the endless ideas out there and trying to narrow it down that was a little nervewracking at the beginning,” Moffat said. His first thought was an idea he’s had for awhile through the active transportation committee. “The idea is to have a co-operative bicycle program where we have bicycles that are free for use that are left in the community in public areas,” he said. “If someone needs to borrow a bicycle they can borrow it and we just ask that they return it to a public area so someone else will be able to use it.” Moffat tried to think of ways he could use $100 to launch the program and spoke with Fire Chief Phil Carpenter to see is there were any bicycles in need of a lot of repairs that wouldn’t make it to the Portage Firefighters’ annual bike auction. “Fortunately for him, unfortunately for me, there was nothing in there that fit that criteria,” Moffat said. As time trickled away Moffat put out a call on social media looking to see if anyone had a bicycle sitting in their garage they didn’t want anymore. “However, time was crunching down and the idea was to have the program completed within the 30 days, so I would not have enough time to collect all the bicycles, do whatever repairs need to be done, get them branded and get the program together and get it launched,” he said. “Then I was very stuck and after a little bit more reflection, I had the idea to offer to match dollar for dollar any donation that someone in my community wanted to make to either active transportation or to the Portage parks committee.” He arranged through the City of Portage la Prairie to provide tax receipts for donations of $20 or more to the two committees and then he offered up the donation match to two of his communities: RBC and the Rotary Club. “Ultimately my goal at that point was to turn $100 into $200 and instead I turned the $100 into $225 because people ended up donating more,” Moffat said. And while he thought he had hit a dead end with the bicycle program, a couple of people caught wind of his original idea and have come forward and donated bicycles to him. “On top of the $225 (donation) that I was able to make to those committees, at the present time I have four bicycles donated already, I have a place to store them, I’ve started talking to public art... to get students to paint the bikes so that they’re very noticeable,” Moffat said. There is also a tentative donation for $100 for the program to put signage on the bikes in the middle frame, which would outline the program. “Because of the agent of change program that the PCRC and the chamber ran, not only was I able to do the original program and get the donation made, there’s also the spinoff of this other program that will be launching in the spring.” It was an honour to have been chosen to participate in Mission Possibilities, Moffat said, and it gave him a lot of pride to participate in the pilot. “I really, really hope this continues to live on. I was extremely impressed at all of the works all of the agents of change did and what the PCRC and the chamber were able to accomplish with $1,000 injected into the community. You can’t buy much for $1,000 nowadays, and I believe the return on that investment was massive.” johnna.ruocco(a)sunmedia.ca

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