Feds encourage cycling
Just don’t do it in a group on a Friday afternoon
Marlo Campbell
Oh the irony...
June 4-10 is Canadian Environment Week, and Rona Ambrose,
our federal minister of the environment, explains in a statement
on Environment Canada’s website that this year’s
goal is “to reinforce the importance of individual actions
to protect and conserve the environment.”
Duh. Since Ambrose and her Conservative government have completely
dropped the ball when it comes to controlling our country’s
greenhouse-gas emissions, it makes sense that they’ve
put the onus on us. Why bother taking initiative on a global
issue when delegating the work to your constituents is so
much more cost-effective?
Coinciding with Canadian Environment Week is the Commuter
Challenge — Canadians are being encouraged to leave
cars at home and use alternative forms of transportation to
get to and from work. You can register your accomplishment
as a workplace or as an individual until June 16, and contrary
to what you may have read in a particular mainstream Winnipeg
newspaper, you can participate all week long, not just on
one day. (To register or get more information, go to www.commuterchallenge.ca.)
Last year, 4,175 Winnipeggers logged over 420,000 kilometres
of car-free commuting. I’m sure Ambrose is very proud
of us.
Stephanie Fulford is the Commuter Challenge co-ordinator for
Manitoba. She says the program celebrates people who bike
or take the bus while challenging those who don’t to
consider alternative transportation options.
“It’s
a good way for people who are already keen on commuting to
have an excuse to talk to their co-workers about it,”
she says.
Considering the recent confrontations between Critical Mass
cyclists and the Winnipeg Police Service, “challenge”
is a particularly appropriate word to describe this year’s
event.
“In some ways, it makes it difficult to be
promoting the commuter challenge and telling people to get
out on their bikes when there is currently hostility towards
cyclists in Winnipeg,” Fulford admits. “It’s
definitely interesting timing.”
A ‘Critical Mass’ is a leaderless group bike ride
which is held monthly in cities all over the world. While
peaceful in theory, the last two Critical Masses in Winnipeg
have resulted in the arrests of several cyclists, and I’ve
personally seen video footage of one participant being, shall
we say, roughly handled by an undercover police officer.
A Critical Mass leaflet I’ve acquired explains that
the cyclists aren’t trying to block traffic but in fact
are traffic — a novel concept here in Winnipeg.
I’m not a bike rider, but from what I can tell this
city isn’t particularly welcoming to cyclists. Frankly,
the possibility of being arrested makes me even more hesitant
to try it.
Then again, I’ve heard that the main problem with the
past two Critical Masses is ensuring the safety of motorists
and cyclists, not the act of cycling itself.
So apparently it’s OK to ride your bike, as long as
you do it by yourself.
A large group of people riding at the same time, collectively
making a point about car culture while cutting down on carbon
dioxide emissions and having fun, however, is dangerous. |
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