Agenda Package - City of Vernon

commuter cyclists. The week wrapped up on Friday afternoon with a barbecue and live
entertainment. Each event offered bicycle repair by local mechanics as well as the chance to
win a free bicycle and other prizes. The North Okanagan had 48 Bike to Work teams register
for the event with 318 cyclists completing a total of 1,020 cycle trips during the week. This level
of community involvement is indicative of a successful campaign and growing interest in
commuter cycling.
Bike to Work Week 2011 would be hosted from Monday, May 30 to Sunday, June 5 in
collaboration with the 2010 Thompson/Okanagan partners as well as the provincial Bike to
Work Week campaign. The North Okanagan campaign would involve events throughout the
week similar to those hosted in 2010 as well as a focus on cycling safety and cycling skills.
Additionally, Bike to School Week would also be promoted with local schools through the
School Travel Planning process, encouraging students to commute by bicycle.
Environment Week
Environment Week is a national event coordinated in conjunction with World Environment Day
on the fírst Saturday of every June. Since 2009 the City of Vernon has collaborated with RDNO
and Greater Vernon Parks, Recreation and Culture to host an event on every day throughout
Environment Week. The Commuter Challenge, Clean Air Day and the Sustainability Awards
are all part of Environment Week. Additional Environment Week activities in the past two years
have included a community weed pull, a Styrofoam round-up, a water day, lnternational Trails
Day and a local food day.
Environment Week 2011 would include an event on every day, with the addition of a film
competition on the evening of the Sustainability Awards presentation. This film competition
was endorsed at the Regular Councíl Meeting of August 9,2010, with a submission deadline of
Friday, Apri|22,2010.ln collaboration with the RDNO, the City will advertise and promote this
film competition in North Okanagan communities until the presentation of the winning films
during Environment Week 2011.
Commuter Challenge (Environment Week)
The Commuter Challenge encourages friendly workplace competitions through onlíne
registratíon. The Commuter Challenge has been hosted in Vernon since 2008. Bike to Work
Week was hosted as part of the Commuter Challenge in 2008 but staff found that hosting two
events at the same time presented marketing and media challenges, including difficulty with
messaging and registration. The 2008 combined campaign was met with limited success and
Vernon did not host Bike to Work Week in 2009 as a result.
ln 2010, a Gommuter Challenge pancake breakfast at the Civic Plaza was attended primarily
by City staff, with limited community participation. A free continental breakfast at the downtown
transit terminus on Clean Air Day, which is also part of Environment Week, was responsible for
over attracting 60% of the participants who registered for the Commuter Challenge in 2010.
Additionally, Charlotte Diamond performed live at Okanagan Landing School. Vernon won
2010 the National Commuter Chalfenge title for the most participation by a community with a
population of 25,000 to 49,999.
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