A family oriented 25 km road, trail and oceanfront cycling tour around town featuring workshops tailored for today’s modern homesteaders. Local taste treats from land and sea. Opportunities to test ride and drive the latest electric bikes and e-cars. Plus the Collective Transition Sustainability Expo & Marketplace on the grounds of Edward Milne community school (EMCS).
It’s all part of the small-town friendly and funky Sooke Slow Food Cycle (SSFC), which rolls for a second year on Sunday, Sept. 23 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Following a modest, well-received debut last Thanksgiving, volunteer organizers have refined the event while holding firm to its guiding principle: To inspire people to lead simpler, more sustainable lifestyles for both the pleasure of it and the sake of themselves, their communities and this beautiful corner of the planet.
The 2012 ride begins and ends at EMCS. The winding, moderately challenging route will follow local bike trails, secondary streets and a stretch of the Galloping Goose trail in visiting more than 15 stops across town – Charters Creek Salmon Interpretive Centre, Sunriver Community Garden, the Government Wharf and the Sooke Harbour House included.
Ticket-holding cyclists can participate in mini workshops along the way that focus on all things bright and sustainable: fruit trees, solar power, beekeeping, backyard gardens, the Slow Fish movement, organic bread, composting and permaculture included. Musical performances, bite-sized local food samples and a slow-cooked pit roast at scenic Ella Beach are on the agenda.
While riders buzz around town, EMCS itself will host the day-long Collective Transition, which is open to the public free or by donation. This festive village-for-the-day combines a sustainability expo (featuring displays, demos and info booths) with a regional food, crafts and artisan marketplace. One highlight: Test rides in the latest e-cars courtesy the Victoria Leaf Club.
Tickets for the bike tour are $21 per person and $42 for family groups. In respecting and supporting our workshop hosts, we’re limiting sales to 500 riders. Everyone is welcome to purchase tickets for an end-of-day harvest feast at Sunriver Community Garden organized by Sooke Region Food CHI.
The SSFC is a non-profit, volunteer-run working group of the Sooke Transition Town Society, one of 900 community initiatives affiliated with the world-wide Transition Network. The ride was launched last year in partnership with the JDF Cycling Coalition and is backed by Slow Food Vancouver Island & the Gulf Islands, which promotes a “good, clean and fair” approach to what we grow and consume regionally. It is funded in part through grants from the District of Sooke and the Sooke Region Tourism Association.
Learn more online at www.sookeslowfoodcycle.com.
For further information: Jeff Bateman (250) 642-2056; jbateman@shaw.ca