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Sunshine Coast Car Free Day (Car Free on Cowrie) happens September 7th, 2024 in Sechelt. Join us for the Sunshine Coast's Car Free Day Get ready to embrace the freedom of the open road—without the cars! Join us for Car Free on Cowrie, an exhilarating celebration of community and fun! On September 7th, 2024, Cowrie Street will transform into a car-free haven, inviting locals and visitors alike to explore vibrant Cowrie Street in a whole new way. This is more than just a fun day out—it’s a chance to appreciate our shared environment and to strengthen our community bonds. So, leave the car behind, grab your bike, put on your walking shoes, and come celebrate with us! Event Details Date Time Location Who's it for What Cost September 7th, 2024 (Saturday) 12pm-5pm Cowrie Street in Sechelt Everyone! There'll be fun for all ages. This is a family-friendly event. Car Free on Cowrie is a community-based, volunteer-run event on the Sunshine Coast, BC, which closes a busy street to car traffic and sets up a day-long community festival to promote active transportation and public spaces. It is similar to other Car Free Days held around the world. Highlights of Car Free on Cowrie include: live music by The Hook Pedal & Polish bike show beer garden bike valet (easy bike parking) free bike tune-ups food trucks bike polo crokinole and pickleball kids activities lots more Attendance is free! Food and drinks will be sold by vendors. Event Sponsors The Sunshine Coast Slow Food Cycle is brought to you by TraC, a local member-based active transportation group. TraC’s mission is to support healthy communities and reduce the Sunshine Coast’s carbon footprint by promoting more active and sustainable transportation alternatives to private vehicles, including cycling, walking, and transit. If you care about making it easier for all Sunshine Coast residents to get to where they’re going without always having to use a car, please consider becoming a member! Join TraC

Projects Advocacy TraC members actively work to create more sustainable transportation options on the coast. Learn more Connect the Coast An All Ages and Abilities (AAA) multi-use trail that connects Sunshine Coast communities.. Learn more Slow Food Cycle A group ride connecting cyclists with local food producers on the Sunshine Coast. Learn more GoByBike Week Monthly road sweeping and other activities to make cycling safer on the Sunshine Coast. Learn more Car Free on Cowrie Experience the heart of Sechelt as Cowrie Street transforms into a vibrant, pedestrian-friendly celebration. Learn more Bike Valet A volunteer-run service at events where attendees can park their bike in a secured area for free. Learn more NDVR to ride A TraC-sponsored bike skills program through the Sunshine Coast Alternative School for at-risk youth in grades 5-7. Watch video Researchers & speakers We host researchers and other speakers in the area of active transportation. Learn more

News about active transportation events on the Sunshine Coast. Go By Bike week, Slow Food Cycle, Car Free Day and more. News & Events Apr 6, 2025 Join us at this year's GoByBike Week party! Celebration stations are so 2024. This year we're having a big party and everyone's invited! Join us on May 27th, 5:30 - 7:30 pm at Tapworks for our big GoByBike Week party! We'll have bike videos, bike trivia, prizes, burger and beer deals, and more! And don't forget to log your kilometres to be eligible for the usual provincial draw prizes when the site is live. Stay tuned for more details!" Read More Apr 5, 2025 Get ready for Slow Food Cycle 2025 Register! Grab your favourite people-powered wheels and get ready for a great day of exploring our local farms and enjoying the bounty our local food producers and artisans have to offer! Last year’s event was a huge success and this year we’re excited to announce more vendors offering a wider range of locally grown produce and artisanal prepared food and refreshments. Read More Nov 27, 2024 You're invited to TraC's 2024 AGM! Join us for our annual AGM on Nov 26th at The Gumboot for music, a great guest speaker, and pizza! Read More Nov 22, 2024 Dirt Relations Film Screening Don't miss TraC's Nov 21st screening of Dirt Relations at the Raven's Cry Theatre, a documentary that delves into the connection between mountain biking, reconciliation, and healing intergenerational trauma. Read More Nov 6, 2024 Burger & Beer Night for Cyclists! Are you going to the Burger & Beer event for cyclists on Nov 6th at Persephone Brewing? Read More Aug 22, 2024 Join us at Car Free on Cowrie Join us on Cowrie Street in Sechelt for a day of family-friendly fun! We’re transforming the street into a car-free paradise to celebrate the local businesses and offer fun activities everyone can enjoy, including live music from local band The Hook, food vendors, a beer garden featuring tasty beverages from Batch 44 and Brickers Cider, bike polo, free bike tuneups, bike decorating, and more. Don't miss our unique "Pedal 'n Polish" (like a Show 'n Shine but with bikes)! Read More Jun 11, 2024 Free Intro to E-bikes Webinar June 24th! Thinking of buying an e-bike? Learn about considerations for choosing an e-bike plus battery charging and maintenance tips in this free webinar! Read More May 11, 2024 Car Free on Cowrie is Saturday, September 7th Cowrie Street in Sechelt will be turned into a car-free zone with live music, food vendors, community booths, bike polo, free e-bike test rides, Pedal & Polish show, and more! Don't miss it! Read More May 9, 2024 Slow Food Cycle is July 28th! Join us for a fun day of cycling on the Sunshine Coast visiting local food producers, ciders and craft breweries, and local artisans. Tickets go on sale May 20th. Read More Dec 20, 2023 2023 Report On Activities 2023 was a busy year, find out what we got up to here. Read More Oct 27, 2023 TraC's 2023 Annual General Meeting is Nov 28th Join us for guest speakers and pizza! Read More Oct 27, 2023 November 2nd is the next Active Advocacy night Come see Cedric's electric bike-operated shoulder sweeper in action! Read More Sep 11, 2023 October 5th is the next Active Advocacy Event! For our next Active Advocacy event, we will be cleaning up The Great Wall of Sechelt! Join us! Read More Sep 11, 2023 The Engine Inside Movie Screening November 15th Join us November 15th for the Sunshine Coast premiere! Tickets are selling fast! Read More

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Car Free on Cowrie Join us as we turn Cowrie Street in Sechelt into a car-free zone with vendors, community booths, bike polo, e-bike test rides, and more! Time & Location Sep 07, 2024, 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Cowrie Street, Sechelt, Cowrie St, Sechelt, BC V0N, Canada Share this event Troubles filling out this form? Don't hesitate to reach out to info@transportationchoices.ca

< Back 2023 Report On Activities Dec 20, 2023 2023 was a busy year, find out what we got up to here. 2023 Report on Activities Advocacy Connect the Coast TraC is actively supporting advocacy efforts for the construction of a multi-use path (MUP) between Langdale and Sechelt. This initiative is now being led by the Connect the Coast Society (CTCS).Established in November 2022, CTCS is a registered charity that is solely focused on the MUP project. Two TraC board members also serve on the five-person CTCS board. Following the completion of a preliminary study a year ago, the Society’s focus in 2023 was on raising awareness of the initiative, building municipal support and seeking grant funding for the next phase of its work, specifically, the development of a detailed feasibility and planning study for the construction of a MUP on the highest priority segment. The District of Sechelt, the Sunshine Coast Regional District and the Town of Gibsons have all provided, or been asked to provide, letters of support for the MUP initiative. The Society has also engaged with the Shishalh and Squamish nations through their official channels. Statements of support and, in some cases, formal partnerships, are required for some grant applications. CTCS anticipates grant funding will play a vital role in moving the initiative forward. The Society has also received letters of support from various community organisations, including the Sunshine Coast Regional Economic Development Organization and Sunshine Coast Tourism, among others. The priority segment, described as sections 4 to 7 in the preliminary report, extends from North Fletcher Rd in Upper Gibsons to Highland Rd in Roberts Creek. A considerable amount of work is required to plan for MUP construction on this segment. This includes archaeological and environment assessments, development of conceptual and detailed engineering plans, and government and public consultation and engagement. The Society estimates the cost of planning - which will get us to a shovel-ready state for this first segment - to be approximately $1.5 million. To get this planning underway we are in the process of applying for a federal Green Municipal Fund grant, which could generate up to $175,000 in matching funds if we are able to raise another $175,000 from our municipal partners and other sources. The Society is also applying for a Rural Economic Diversification Infrastructure Program grant of up to $500,000. The Society is also seeking planning and financial support from the provincial government directly, and to that end has met with Minister Rob Fleming, from the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, other members of his ministry, and with Jonathan Robinson, executive director of Healthy Living and Health Promotion in the Ministry of Health. TraC and the Society are grateful for the role MLA Nicholas Simon has played in helping us engage with the provincial government. The Society’s work is still primarily volunteer driven. In 2023 TraC was awarded a $22,000 grant from the federal Community Services Recovery Fund to build fundraising capacity and capability for the Connect the Coast initiative. These funds have been used to build a government relations program, which is essential to the initiative’s success and fundraising, and to develop a fundraising plan. In addition, private donors have contributed approximately $60,000 to support the initiative to date. In the year ahead, the Society will maintain its focus on stakeholder engagement, fundraising and getting next-phase planning underway. Town of Gibsons In 2022, TraC worked with staff at the Town of Gibsons to obtain a grant from the province to develop an Active Transportation Network Plan and in February of this year the Town of Gibsons was awarded a grant. The purpose of this process is to develop a comprehensive active transportation network that will enable residents and visitors to safely get around on foot or with wheels to various locations within the Town. TraC is an active member on the Advisory Committee along with other community organisations. District of Sechelt TraC continued to act as a District of Sechelt referral agency. This means that development plans that impact Active Transportation are forwarded to TraC to provide comments. This year we provided feedback on the following referrals: Subdivision Application 3320-2022-05 - DL 3259 Tuwanek Subdivision 3320-2022-13 - 5100 Chapman Road Rezoning application 3360-2022-06 - Lot 5 Tower Road 5981 Shoal Way Rezoning Application - 3360-2022-02 We also contributed to the update of the District of Sechelt Transportation Master Plan through document review and participation in a workshop. The Mason Road phase of the federal-provincial jointly funded Active Transportation Infrastructure Improvement Project in West Sechelt is almost complete. This phase connects the Sunshine Coast Highway and Reeves Road with a multi-use path separated from automobile traffic. The next phase of the project will improve infrastructure on Reeves Road to the Crowston Connector and Kinnikinnick Park. MOTI Outside our engagement with Connect the Coast and the VCH Active Travel for Kids Committee TraC did not have any other engagement with MOTI. SCRD TraC and Connect the Coast worked with the SCRD and requested support for the Connect the Coast preliminary design, plans to move forward with our feasibility and started the process of requesting financial support for our Green Municipal Fund grant. Bike Counter This past year TraC finally received funding to purchase a bike counter from Vancouver Coastal Health and the BC Cycling Coalition. In October, volunteers learned how to set-up the counter and piloted it in front of Roberts Creek Elementary. SD46 has since asked to have it placed in front of Gibsons Elementary. The next stop will be in front of Elphinstone Secondary/Hwy #101 to collect bi-ennial data for the next version of TraC’s Active Transportation Progress Report. Going forward, the counter is available to be placed anywhere on the coast. Active Transportation Progress Report The next version of TraC’s AT Progress Report (formerly known as the AT Report Card ) is almost complete and will be released by the end of the year. Other Advocacy In 2023, we attended MP Patrick Weiler’s pre-budget consultation. We also held private meetings with newly elected local government representatives to discuss active transportation issues. Events Active Advocacy Nights This year we significantly ramped up our Active Advocacy Nights with events like highway road sweeping in Sechelt, Selma Park, Davis Bay, Roberts Creek and Gibsons, plus levelling out a slightly challenging corner on Helen’s Way in Gibsons. TraC sincerely thanks all volunteers who come out to these fun and important evenings for a bit of cycle love, sweat and beers. TraC’s active advocacy nights inspired the design and fabrication of a prototype bike lane sweeper pulled by bike. This sweeper enables efficient removal of debris - such as scattered rocks, nails, glass, etc. - with an electrically powered brush that lifts debris into bins at the back of the sweeper. The sweeper can be pulled by any bike (but e-bikes help on hills) with the use of a standard bike trailer connection. It was built at Lal Bikes in Wilson Creek in collaboration with Pierre Lermant from California, who had the original idea for such a sweeper. The sweeper was thoroughly tested, with the learning from this testing going into the design of a next prototype sweeper. The long term goal is to explore whether these bike lane sweepers could be commercially built in quantity for use everywhere where bike lane sweeping is needed. Slow Food Cycle Over 300 cyclists participated in the first annual Sunshine Coast Slow Food Cycle July 30 in Upper Gibsons. Presented by TraC with generous support from sponsors, including the Founding Sponsor, the Sunshine Coast Credit Union, the event enabled cyclists to visit up to 14 participating venues on a self-guided route. Event highlights included food samples from roadside farm stands, build-your-own pizza with ingredients you gather yourself, tours of larger-scale farming operations and having a chance to converse directly with informed food producers and farmers. Also, we heard overwhelming support for how events like this that support cyclists gathering together in a safe way greatly increased their appreciation and respect for the community we have on the coast. We received very positive feedback from participating vendors and participants. One participant’s quote is worth mentioning. They said, “It was amazing to see all the cyclists attending, stop at farms I had never been to and talk to the farmers, and simply the community of it.“ We are happy to announce we will be putting this event on again on July 28, 2024 (tentative) in collaboration with the One Straw Society and other community members. Town of Gibsons E-Bike Ride In June, TraC invited Town of Gibsons councillors, staff, and other community representatives from SD46 and Vancouver Coastal Health on a guided e-bike tour of Gibsons. The 1.5 hour tour demonstrated some of the current safety challenges of cycling in our community, but also showcased the joys of e-biking and how it is making cycling much easier for all in Gibsons. Following the tour, one grinning councillor said they had not been on a bike since 1976, and subsequently purchased their own e-bike two days later! GoByBike Weeks TraC hosted Celebration Stations in Gibsons and Sechelt during GoByBike Weeks in May and a fun wrap-up party at The Gumboot for all volunteers and riders. Earth Day In April, TraC hosted their annual booth at the Robert Creek Earth Day festival. There was a bike valet, bike tune-ups, and lots of discussion on the potential for more active transportation on the coast. The Engine Inside Movie Screening In November, TraC hosted a successful screening of the cycling movie, “The Engine Inside” at the Heritage Playhouse. The event was a partnership between Trac and Shoreline Law and coordinated by TraC member, Tim Howard. Tickets (135) sold quickly. Schools and Youth VCH Active Travel for Kids Committee TraC continues to collaborate with this group of organisations to explore ways to encourage more active travel for kids on the Sunshine Coast. Attendees include: Vancouver Coastal Health, SD46, District of Sechelt, SCRD, Town of Gibsons, and SCRD Transit. A new coordinator, Sally McBride, has taken over from Lianne Carley. They have recently identified five areas of concern that they plan to focus their advocacy efforts on. Many thanks to Jody Schick who continues to support these efforts with his suggestions and research on appropriate AT infrastructure goals. SD46 Active School Travel Support TraC has also supported SD46 and their Active Travel Coordinator, Johan Strohman, with their own AT activities. Over the past year we have: Attended strategy planning meetings. Participated in an SD46 meeting with ICBC to discuss ways to make active school travel safer for kids on the Coast. Attended additional site visits with ICBC and Town of Gibsons. Helped with four ICBC Road Safety Blitzes held at schools across the coast. Donated prize money for Active Travel Weeks. Placed the bike counter in front of Gibsons Elementary. SD46 continues to work seriously in the area of active school travel. NDVR Video In 2018, TraC received a grant from Vancouver Coastal Health to purchase ten bikes for the NDVR program in Sechelt. NDVR is a Sunshine Coast Alternative School (SCAS) program for at-risk youth in grades 5-7. For five years now, students in NDVR have learned how to ride bikes safely and have worked on their skills on local mountain biking trails. Local filmmaker and TraC member Greg Compton wanted to highlight some of TraC’s achievements and chose to feature the success of the NDVR program. The video includes SCAS outdoor education teacher Tom Harder who shows how he teaches students to ride bikes confidently on pavement and local trails, building life-long skills. The video has been shared by SCAS teachers, by SD46 and is currently on the TraC website. Free Transit for Youth Feasibility Study In the fall, TraC actively assisted a consultant hired by the SCRD to conduct a feasibility study on free transit for youth on the Sunshine Coast. These results will be presented to the SCRD board in November. Other Activities Other activities that TraC has been up to in 2023 include: Hosted a table at the Greenline Electric Ferries Open House. Hosted a table at the Banff Mountain Film Fest. Organisation Membership TraC’s membership increased by 68% in 2023 to 222 members. There are also 1,100 subscribers on our mailing list. Thirty-one percent of our subscribers are “highly engaged and often open and click” our email newsletters. The majority of members (60%) are on an annual subscription plan that renews automatically via PayPal. New Website & Logo In early 2023, TraC received a new logo courtesy of member Pamela Lee. In September we created a new website with more functionality for events. Thank You! TraC would like to thank all our directors, volunteers, and members who worked hard this year to make all these activities happen. If you would like to become one of our amazing volunteers please contact us . Previous Next

News & Events Dec 20, 2023 2023 Report On Activities 2023 was a busy year, find out what we got up to here. Read More Oct 27, 2023 TraC's 2023 Annual General Meeting is Nov 28th Join us for guest speakers and pizza! Read More Oct 27, 2023 November 2nd is the next Active Advocacy night Come see Cedric's electric bike-operated shoulder sweeper in action! Read More Sept 11, 2023 October 5th is the next Active Advocacy Event! For our next Active Advocacy event, we will be cleaning up The Great Wall of Sechelt! Join us! Read More Sept 11, 2023 The Engine Inside Movie Screening November 15th Join us November 15th for the Sunshine Coast premiere! Tickets are selling fast! Read More

< Back The Engine Inside Movie Screening November 15th Sept 11, 2023 Join us November 15th for the Sunshine Coast premiere! Tickets are selling fast! TraC is proud to co-present with Shoreline Law the lower Sunshine Coast's premiere screening of Anthill Production's new film The Engine Inside on November 15 at the Gibsons Heritage Playhouse Theatre. The film follows six individuals from diverse backgrounds who embrace cycling as a way to overcome daunting personal and systemic challenges, showcasing how bicycles have the potential to transform lives and contribute to a better world. Described by critics as a "warm embrace from the greater cycling community" and hitting "all the right marks" for a documentary, The Engine Inside is a beautiful ode to the joys of cycling. Previous Next

< Back TraC's 2023 Annual General Meeting is Nov 28th Oct 27, 2023 Join us for guest speakers and pizza! The meeting will include a short presentation by guest speakers Neil Arason and Kirvy Quiambao of the BC Injury Research and Prevention Unit on "The Five Principles for Improving and Increasing the Safety of Active Travel". Come see what we've been up to and stick around for some socialising and as usual, yummy Gumboot Pizza! Meet at 7 pm. Previous Next

< Back October 5th is the next Active Advocacy Event! Sept 11, 2023 For our next Active Advocacy event, we will be cleaning up The Great Wall of Sechelt! Join us! TraC’s Fall return to Active Advocacy starts Thursday, October 5th at the Great Wall of Sechelt . Meet at 6pm at the corner of Highway 101 and Shorncliffe Beach Access road (opposite the Law Courts) and we’ll head up to the separated bike path that runs parallel to the highway and at the foot of the Great Wall. It’s currently overrun with blackberry brambles and weeds and is impossible to ride on. Arm yourself with good gloves and some pruners and help TraC clear the way! Previous Next

< Back November 2nd is the next Active Advocacy night Oct 27, 2023 Come see Cedric's electric bike-operated shoulder sweeper in action! Our next Active Advocacy event will be Thursday, November 2nd where we will clear the shoulders on Roberts Creek Road. Meet at Up The Creek Backpackers Hostel at 5 pm and be prepared to sweep with fellow members until dark. Hope to see you there! If you'd like to be added to the volunteer list for notices, please contact us . Previous Next