MAY 2023

From May 29 to June 4, Go by Bike Week is back – and there are tons of great prizes to win. Hub Cycling’s week-long celebration of cycling offers a fun, healthy and climate-friendly week of activities that encourage people to ride their bikes to everyday destinations. Participants can discover the joy of riding and boost their happiness, productivity and wellbeing.
 
Cycling isn’t just fun, it’s good for the planet. Nearly 40% of Vancouver’s carbon pollution comes from burning gasoline and diesel in our vehicles. Choosing to change how we move, by using active transportation to get around the city, can help us meet our Climate Emergency Action Plan goal of cutting Vancouver’s carbon pollution in half by 2030.
 
YOUR TURN

• Register for Go by Bike Week and log your rides on the HUB Cycling website for a chance to win prizes.
• Visit Celebration Stations across Vancouver to get free bike maintenance, cycling info, snacks and more!
• Follow @WalkBikeRoll and @WeAreHUB to stay connected and share your stories using the hashtag #GobyBikeWeek.
• Check out our new 2023 Bike Maps to plan your route.

SUPPORTING: CLIMATE EMERGENCY

The annual Emergency Preparedness Week just took place from May 7-13. Emergency Preparedness Week is a national awareness initiative that encourages everyone to be better prepared to face a range of emergencies.
 
With climate change, extreme weather events such as extreme heat, poor air quality from wildfire smoke, extreme rainfall and winter storms are becoming more frequent and severe. Part of adapting to climate change means preparing for these emergencies and connecting with our families, friends and neighbours so we can face them together.
 
Through our Climate Change Adaptation Strategy and our Resilient Vancouver Strategy, the City is working to build a thriving, prepared and resilient community of support for everyone in the face of climate change and other shocks and stresses.
 
YOUR TURN
 
Preparedness is a shared responsibility, and everyone has a role to play. Steps like knowing your hazards, making a plan and gathering supplies can keep you safe during an emergency.

• Learn the steps to preparedness at vancouver.ca/beprepared.
• Register for an emergency preparedness workshop at vancouver.ca/nepp, the next one is May 31.
• Download the Alertable app to receive notifications from the City about significant and urgent emergencies.
• Build resilience in your community by connecting with your neighbours and planning how you can help each other during an emergency.

Learn more with the City of Vancouver’s Resilient Neighbourhoods Program, PreparedBC’s Neighbourhood Preparedness Guide and Guide for Apartments, Condos, and Townhomes.  
 
SUPPORTING: CLIMATE EMERGENCY, RESILIENT VANCOUVER

Do you love spending time at one of Vancouver’s most popular beachfront areas? We want to hear from you.

The Vancouver Park Board and the City of Vancouver are planning for the future of the Salish Sea oceanfront parks, beaches and streets that make up the West End Waterfront. We want to create a welcoming and joyful place for everyone – a place where humans and nature can thrive together for generations to come.
 
Three design approaches have been developed to help guide the long-term plan, with each approach emphasizing and celebrating a different quality of English Bay, Sunset Beach Park and Beach Avenue. We are looking for feedback on the preliminary design approaches.
 
YOUR TURN

Your input will help us develop a preferred design concept, which will be shared for further feedback in fall 2023. Until then:

• Learn more about the three design approaches and take our survey by May 21.
• Share your love letter to the West End Waterfront.

SUPPORTING: CLIMATE ADAPTATION

This spring the Vancouver Park Board gave away a selection of trees to help grow Vancouver’s urban forest and increase our climate resilience as a city. In March, figs, plums, ginkgos, lilacs, hornbeams and evergreens were delivered to their forever homes in two of the city’s lowest canopy areas – Victoria-Fraserview and Sunset. As they take root in people’s yards, these young trees will start to branch out to fill in gaps in the urban forest.

The urban forest is one of the biggest contributors to environmental and social health. The thousands of trees making up the urban forest clean our air, absorb rainwater, provide wildlife habitat, provide cooling shade and wind protection, and improve physical and mental health and well-being of residents. Planting and watering trees keeps them and us healthy.

The Park Board works to plant and maintain more than 450,000 trees in boulevards, parks and public spaces around the city, and is focused on increasing canopy cover in areas that need it most. This work supports our Climate Emergency Action Plan's Big Move 6 objective of investing in healthy ecosystems and natural climate solutions.

YOUR TURN
 
You can support the urban forest by planting trees on your property if you have the space. In the summer, all trees could use some extra help staying hydrated. Support street trees by watering them for five minutes, two to three times per week.

SUPPORTING: CLIMATE EMERGENCY