Schools and youth groups may register and qualify to win a prize. Once registered, be sure to post your event to the Take the Roof Off Winter Facebook page, like the page and tell us how your event went! Be sure to upload photos too.

The event is a partnership of the Ecology Action Centre, Heart&Stroke Walkabout™ and Recreation Nova Scotia's Take the Roof Off Winter campaign, which promotes healthy outdoor winter activity in Nova Scotia. Please help promote this event through your networks.

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Heart&Stroke Walkabout™ is offering Walkability grants to help organizations, groups and individuals take steps to increase walking participation. The deadline for submissions is Monday, March 2, 2015. Categories of grants include infrastructure, marketing and advocacy. Those eligible to apply for this funding include organizations, groups of individuals or communities. Those who have previously received a Walkability Grant may reapply. Grants of $500 - $2,000 will be awarded to three to 12 groups this year. A total of $6000 will be distributed. Learn more here.  

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Heart&Stroke Walkabout™ is launching a six-week challenge entitled Walking Wednesdays Winter Challenge for workplaces. To participate, a minimum of three employees from your worksite will commit to walk together (for at least 10 minutes) every Wednesday from mid-January to the end of February. There will be weekly draws in addition to a grand prize draw for a healthy lunch for your walking team. Here is how it works: A Walkabout at Work leader, or future Walkabout at Work leader, registers their workplace and participant names by e-mail to walkabout@heartandstroke.ns.ca by January 19. Space is limited so be sure to register early. 

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Average of 8% increase in AT 

New data collected by our School Travel Planning (STP) schools shows positive results from their active travel programs. The STP schools who offered comparative data (baseline to 2014) showed an average increase of 8% in active travel use! This is great news, showing the positive effects of STP in Nova Scotia. We were pleased to work with schools on some new projects, such as the use of crosswalk flags; Shatford Memorial piloted this project in Fall 2014. As well, we continue to advocate for our schools to have safe, walkable neighbourhoods. We're working with community groups to push for positive school siting, maintaining our crossing guards along walking routes and supporting programs like Walking School Buses.

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The Planning Walkable Communities Workshop was held in Halifax on December 5, 2014 for 24 people from across the province. They were planners and engineers along with folks from health, physical activity and safety sectors.

This workshop, targeted mainly at planners, was about making our communities more walkable for everyone, from children to seniors. It addressed the state of walkability in NS and how to improve walkability in the areas of planning and infrastructure. It included classroom time and a walk audit as well as group work and discussions.

This event was a partnership of the Ecology Action Centre, Heart&Stroke Walkabout™, Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness, Licensed Professional Planners Association of Nova Scotia and Dalhousie Cities & Environment Unit. Learn more about the workshop here. 

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Since April, 2014, 1731 participants, mostly youth and children have taken a Making Tracks program, of which, 104 adults and older youth have become program Leaders.  We have offered many training programs to new partners.  330 Girl Guides, Pathfinders, and Sparks received Walking Wafety programming.  374 children and youth received Skate Pass programming through HRM recreation programs.  Many IWK staff and Dalhousie University College of Sustainability students became Leaders in our cycling program.  Cape Breton Family Place Resource Centre staff became Leaders in our Walking Safety program.

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The Fall Bike and Walk Fest organized by SmartTrip Halifax last September in West End Halifax was a fun filled event for the entire family. The event offered people of all ages and abilities the chance to Try-a-Bike, to try out Nordic Walking, BMX biking, bike repair and maintenance, do some craft or bike art project, as well as learn about the recently approved Active Transportation Priorities Plan and the new bike routes that are being proposed in the West End.

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By Lynne Pascoe

The weekend of May 2-4, 2014 saw eighteen women of varying levels of cycling experience gather at the Deanery Project on Nova Scotia's Eastern Shore for the Women on Wheels (WoW) Weekend.

There were workshops on bike mechanics (Jenna Molinaar), Can Bike (Sandra Bennett), discussions on touring (Lynne Pascoe), 52 Week Bike Challenge (Shelley Porter), an update on the Blue Route (Susanna Fuller), and of course the WoW program (Shelley Johnson), and amazing local vegetarian food provided by Anke Kungl of Conscious Catering.

The energy in the room was palpable and along with learning new skills there was amazing sharing of ideas about getting more women involved in cycling. Attendees came from HRM, CBRM, Digby, Yarmouth, and Ingonish and they plan to start cycling groups in their own communities when they return home. The goals set by the attendees are to keep it simple, start small, encourage women to gain confidence through cycling, and through them encourage their children to learn how to ride their bikes safely.

All we can say is WOW! What a great week-end!

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