I
t all began in Vernon last summer when the owner of the Towne theatre screened Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth for 13 weeks. Out of a total population of 40,000 in the Vernon area, more than 10,000 residents are estimated to have seen the film. Shortly afterward, a local environmental group, the Sustainable Environment Network Society (SENS), held a meeting to discuss what Vernon could do about climate change. The town hall was filled to capacity. Wheels for Change is a grassroots campaign organized by a diverse group of British Columbians who share a deep concern about climate change. The campaign offers an opportunity for people across the province to gather together and take positive action. From June 30 to July 22, people of all ages are invited to take part in a 1,000-kilometre bike tour from Nelson to Victoria. With everyone’s help, we hope to collectively cycle 40,000 kilometres, the equivalent to circling the Earth. People wishing to get involved but who are unable to make the three-week
commitment are welcome to join the ride for as long as they can manage. Our numbers for the tour keep increasing. Depending upon where we are on the route, our core group ranges from 18 to 35 people, and this number could increase over the final weeks. Dozens more are planning to join us just for the day, and hundreds will be taking part in our shorter bike rides through the towns and cities. We are so impressed by the diversity, passion and commitment in the people that this campaign is bringing together. We can see that we are tapping into a strong current of feeling, shared by many people across the province, that stronger action needs to be taken on this issue, and soon. We want to inspire people to take action not only in their own lives, but also in the way they place their vote. With only a few more election cycles left to us to get it right, we must let our politicians know that our vote goes to the party with the most effective plan for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Local groups across the province are supporting Wheels for Change by holding smaller bike rides and by sharing food, music, speeches and other activities. Community events include the event bike parade launch in Nelson, followed by events in Grand Forks, Osoyoos, Penticton, Kelowna, Vernon, Salmon Arm, Falkland, Kamloops, Hope, Abbotsford and Maple Ridge. The ride finishes up with two huge, familyfriendly bike rides on the finale weekend of July 21 and 22, along the Central Valley Greenway in Vancouver and the Lochside Trail in Victoria, from the ferry to the legislative lawns. If you are interested in getting involved, visit www.wheelsforchange.ca for a schedule of places and times or call Mary, 250307-4907 or Celia, 250-503-8082.
