May 31, 2019 - The 2019 Commuter Challenge officially kicks off Sunday, June 2, and residents are encouraged to participate each day until June 8.
The Commuter Challenge is a national week-long event that encourages people to commute to and from work using sustainable modes of travel. This includes active transportation such as cycling, walking, running, canoeing, or taking transit. Even carpooling is more sustainable than driving to work alone. Participating is easy. Individuals and workplaces can register on www.commuterchallenge.ca and track their commutes for a chance to win great prizes, get active, and help the environment. It is very important to log commutes on the website in order to be eligible for the prizes!
“The Commuter Challenge is a great way for Thunder Bay to experience first-hand the benefits of using active transportation to get to work and other places,” says Dr. Janet DeMille, Medical Officer of Health at the Thunder Bay District Health Unit. “Active commuting allows for an easy way to improve overall health and well-being, protect the environment and reduce risk of many chronic diseases that are prevalent in this region.” The challenge is not only healthy, but a friendly competition between cities. Last year, Thunder Bay stole first place in Ontario for the Commuter Challenge with 82 workplaces registered, 935 individuals registered and a whopping 725 individuals participating. We beat our closest competitor, the City of Kingston, by over 200 participants in 2018! This has great benefits for the environment and the overall health of our city by decreasing greenhouse gas emissions and encouraging individuals to build physical activity into their day.
“We were thrilled to see such high participation from Thunder Bay in 2018,” says Amy Coomes, EarthCare Coordinator. “We are ready to beat our numbers in 2019!”
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For more information: Health Unit Media: news@tbdhu.com.