Canadia Mennonite University Wins Commuter Challenge

When it comes to preserving the environment, staff and students at Canadian Mennonite University (CMU), Winnipeg, MB, walk the talk—and ride bikes, carpool and take the bus, too.

Their commitment was confirmed in September, when CMU placed first among Manitoba universities and colleges in Resource Conservation Manitoba’s Campus Commuter Challenge. It was the second time this year that the university placed first in challenges aimed at encouraging sustainable commuting.

Winnipeg’s Campus Commuter Challenge is an annual sustainable transportation event designed to showcase, reward, and hopefully increase the commitment of the students and staff at post-secondary institutions to using methods other than single-passenger motor vehicles to get to and from school.

Students were challenged to cycle, walk, take the bus or carpool to school during the week of September 17-21, 2007. CMU’s participation rate during the weeklong challenge was 20.2 percent. Winnipeg’s William and Catherine Booth College, a Salvation Army school, placed second with a rate of 15.48 percent.

CMU’s effort was spearheaded by Sanctoral Cycle, a student-run bike co-op that encourages students and staff to use bikes to commute to school. “We were excited to win,” says Jacqueline Neufeld, a co-op organizer who cycles about 70 kilometres (43.5 miles) round-trip to CMU each day from her home in Howden, Man., just south of the city. This is the second time that CMU has won the provincial Campus Challenge. It also won in 2005.

In June CMU also placed first in a national campus challenge sponsored by Go for Green, a program that aims to increase the awareness of the benefits of sustainable commuting. During that challenge, which occurred June 3-9 when there were no students on campus, 34 percent of CMU employees participated by walking, cycling, taking the bus or carpooling to work. ♦             Source: Canadian Mennonite University News


Action Steps:

•    Bike or walk to work this week if possible.
•    Plan a commuter challenge for your church, school or other group.