Meeting on trail network set

A public forum for the whole community to provide information on active transportation and its benefits will be held Wednesday, June 7 from 7-9 p.m. at the East End Hall.
The information session will provide an opportunity for stakeholders and individuals alike to provide input into the future direction of a walking/cycling trail network for our community.
“The Town of Fort Frances is very excited to have ‘Go for Green’ help us consider ways to build active transportation into the community,” said Coun. Tannis Drysdale.
“Some of the economic benefits of active transportation include a reduction in road construction, repair, and maintenance costs; increased property values along greenways and trails; and the positive economics of bicycle tourism,” she added.
“This is a great opportunity for Fort Frances to create more walking and cycling in the community,” agreed Michael Haynes, active transportation co-ordinator for Go for Green, a national non-profit organization that developed the workshop.
“There are many benefits to active transportation,” he added. “A number of research studies link physical inactivity to obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
“Walking and cycling are easy ways to incorporate more physical activity into daily life while protecting the environment,” Haynes remarked.
“By making our community better for active transportation, we can begin to reverse the increased rates of obesity while building better communities,” echoed Coun. Rick Wiedenhoeft, a long-time physical educator.
“Active transportation is truly a win-win initiative,” he stressed.
Active transportation is not about replacing the role of the car but about increasing people’s options to use other forms of transportation.
Making a community more active transportation-friendly might involve adding bike lanes, improving sidewalks, and generally making walking and cycling safer, more pleasant experiences.
Only 6.6 percent of Canadians walk to work while 1.2 percent bike. Many countries around the world have significantly higher levels of active transportation use.
Even in Sweden, a country with winters similar to Canada’s, walking accounts for 39 percent of trips and cycling for 10 percent. A major barrier to walking and biking is safe, convenient facilities.
This program was funded initially by the Ontario Ministry of Tourism and Recreation and currently is supported by the Public Health Agency of Canada.
Other participating Ontario communities were Picton, Petawawa, Niagara Falls, Owen Sound, Thorold, Pelham, Caledonia, St. Thomas, and Timmins.
Go for Green is a national non-profit, charitable organization encouraging Canadians to pursue healthy, outdoor physical activities that protect, enhance, or restore the environment.
Since 1992, Go for Green has worked in close partnership with health, environment, transportation, recreation, and community organizations across the country, as well as progressive Canadian corporations and governments at all levels.