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Green groups gear up for Enviro Week

Commuter Challenge still registering individuals, businesses
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Smart Car filled to capacity with seven Whistler bylaw officers and fire fighters in order to promote this week's Commuter Challenge. Photo by Maureen Provencal

There are a lot of different ways to show off your green colours next week, as Whistler joins the rest of the country in celebrating Canadian Environment Week, June 4-10.

The main event of Whistler’s Environment Week will be the fifth annual Whistler Way Commuter Challenge.

Whistler was first, in terms of participation, out of 105 communities with comparable populations in the one-day national challenge last year. It is estimated that participants cut 15,994 km in single passenger trips in a single day, saving close to three tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.

In addition to the one-day event, Whistler has held a two-week Commuter Challenge in the fall for the past three years involving individuals and businesses. Last year 828 people participated in that event, opting for alternatives to the single passenger vehicle while earning points to qualify for the prize draw.

This year Whistler will combine both the one-day and two-week challenge events into a single week-long event. There’s still time to register yourself as an individual, or to register your business.

All participants, individuals and employees registered in the challenge through their workplace will earn points for walking, jogging, cycling, taking the bus, carpooling and teleworking during Environment Week, and everyone who earns 20 points will be entered into the grand prize draw.

In addition, businesses can earn awards based on participation (percentage of employees enrolled) and for the most possible points earned by the participants.

If you wish to participate as an individual or coordinate the challenge at your workplace, contact Environment Week coordinator Marc Zurbuchen at 604-935-8322 or email :keepwhistlercool@whistler.ca. You can also sign up at the official launch on Monday, June 5 in Function Junction, during the Pique NewsMagazine and WAVE sponsored Commuter Challenge Bus Buffet, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the WAVE Transit Garage. Free hot dogs will be available.

Despite the change of dates, registration has been going well.

"We’re starting to see lots of registration forms coming," said Zurbuchen. "People can sign up until the end of the challenge, but we’re encouraging people to sign up early because the first 500 will get a free seven-day WAVE card which is good for riding the bus all next week."

Zurbuchen says most of the business participants from past years have already signed up, "but we’ve seen quite a few new businesses come in, which is great," he said. "We’re encouraging more businesses to take part that haven’t in the past. It’s a fun community event, and businesses can do pretty well in their first year. Last year the Four Seasons was new to the contest and they ended up winning the award for the highest possible points for a large business."

Environment Week will wrap up on Saturday, June 10 with Enviro Fest. Enviro Fest takes place in Mountain Square from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. featuring displays from local environmental groups as well as several events and attractions.

Enviro Week events include:

• Habitat Improvement Team (HIT) project. Meet at Merlin’s on Tuesday, June 6 at 5:45 p.m. While the group usually works in forests and along trails and waterways, for the second year volunteers will be sorting donations for a Whistler-Blackcomb and International Rotary project to provide material aid to the poorest communities of Romania.

• Free Vehicle Emissions Inspections. SMD automotive will be in Lot 3 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, June 7 to provide people with a free vehicle emissions inspection as well as advice on how to reduce emissions. Sometimes all you need is a new part or a little bit of work.

• LUNA BMX Demo. It’s not the best way to commute but anything that promotes bikes over cars is helpful. The demo will take place on Thursday, June 8 from 7 to 10 p.m. Local shops specializing in BMX will be on hand to show off gear, and there will be opportunities to win prizes from Monster Energy, Katmandu and others. Entry is free, and there will be a raffle for the prizes. In case of rain the event will move to June 22.

• Whistler Naturalists Scavenger Hunt. On Saturday, June 10 kids, individuals and families are invited to Lost Lake for a one-hour scavenger hunt – spot trees and, look for fish, frogs and birds, and learn a little more about your environment in a fun and fast-paced way. Meet at the concession stand (Lost Lake Warming Hut) before 10 a.m.

• Hilltrip Offical Enviro Fest After Party – drop by the Savage Beagle after 9 p.m. to celebrate the day and learn more about different environmental campaigns. Proceeds from past Hilltrip events have gone towards groups like the David Suzuki Foundation’s climate change program and the Melting Mountains campaign.

Enviro Fest events on Saturday, June 10 include:

• The Whistler Environmental Business Award, presented at noon by the Association of Whistler Area Residents for the Environment (AWARE). This is the first year that AWARE has hosted the award, which will recognize a business that has taken steps to reduce waste, cut energy consumption, organize employee transportation, or made other steps to reduce environmental impact. The nomination is open until 4:30 p.m. on Friday, June 2 and the winner will be chosen by an AWARE committee in consultation with the AWARE board of directors. Application forms are available online at www.awarewhistler.org .

• The second annual How Slow Can You Go Bike Race from noon to 3:30 p.m. Your tires have to be moving at all times as you negotiate a short course with a few obstacles thrown in for good measure. Todd Hellinga won the first event last year, and will be defending his title against all challengers. Everyone is welcome to take part and there are no age restrictions.

• Hydrogen vehicle Ride and Drives from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. This event will showcase new emission-free hydrogen technology, and how companies and governments are coming together to promote this alternative to fossil fuels.

• Live music with Kostaman and Friends, called Bands Against Hunger. A little bit reggae and a little bit rock and roll, with a cause that gets more important as environmental disasters like droughts and storms increase in intensity around the world.