Back to School Week is back! If you’ve already read our story on Active Travel in the District, this likely comes as no surprise. From June 3-7, students across the District participated in the initiative hosted by HUB Cycling by cycling to and from school.

What is Bike to School Week?

Bike to School Week (or Go By Bike Week for secondary schools) encourages students from across Metro Vancouver to choose active ways to get to and from school, such as through biking, walking or rolling. 

During the week, participating schools count the number of active travel trips taken by students and submit their stats to HUB Cycling -- a non-profit organization that aims to get more people bicycling as a mode of transportation. 

Schools with the highest levels of participation are then awarded with exciting prizes and giveaways!

Students biking at Edith Cavell Elementary

What is the importance of this week? 

There are numerous benefits to walking, biking or rolling as a means of transportation. Active travel is a great way to encourage physical activity, improve energy levels and reduce travel emissions on the environment. The fun and competitive nature of the prize incentives helps students stay motivated throughout the week and creates an environment where those who may have not considered active travel before have an opportunity to give it a try. 

The event also enables a sense of self-determination and accomplishment once their cycling goal, whatever it may be, has been reached.

How many schools participated this year? 

This year, VSB has a record number of schools participating in the initiative, with 41 schools registered! The participating schools are: 

1.Sir James Douglas Elementary 

2.Ecole Jules Quesnel Elementary 

3.Emily Carr Elementary 

4.Tyee Elementary 

5.General Gordon Elementary 

6.Nootka Community Elementary 

7.David Lloyd George Elementary 

8.Queen Mary Elementary 

9.Britannia Community Elementary 

10.Edith Cavell Elementary 

11.Norma Rose Point Elementary Junior 

12.Kerrisdale Annex 13.Pierre Elliott Trudeau Elementary 

14.Queen Victoria Annex 

15.Mount Pleasant Elementary 

16.wək̓ʷan̓əs tə syaqʷəm Elementary 

17.Hastings Community Elementary 

18.Lord Selkirk Elementary 

19.Kerrisdale Elementary 

20.Simon Fraser Elementary 

21.Trafalgar Elementary 

22.Sir Wm Van Horne Elementary 

23.¿uuqinak'uuh Grandview Elementary 

24.False Creek Elementary 

25.L'Ecole Bilingue Elementary 

26.John Norquay Elementary 

27.Quilchena Elementary 

28.Dr R E McKechnie Elementary 

29.Sir Sandford Fleming Elementary 

30.Sir Alexander Mackenzie Elementary 

31.Florence Nightingale Elementary 

32.Lord Strathcona Community Elementary 

33.Thunderbird šxʷəxʷaʔəs Elementary School 

34.Henry Hudson Elementary 

35.Killarney Secondary School - 100 students 

36.Sir Wilfrid Laurier Elementary 

37.Queen Alexandra Elementary 

38.Renfrew Community Elementary 

39.Bayview Community Elementary 

40.Lord Tennyson Elementary 

41.Sir Richard McBride Elementary

Students at Queen Alexandra Elementary

What were the results? 

This year, HUB added an exciting new addition to Bike to School Week – the Wednesday Winners Competition. At noon on Wednesday, June 5, School Champions submitted their schools’ mid-week statistics. VSB schools sure know how to get active!

Wednesday Winners: 

With over 50 trips recorded: 

• Henry Hudson Elementary 

With over 100 trips recorded: 

• Edith Cavell Elementary 
• Simon Fraser Elementary 
• Britannia Community Elementary 
• General Gordon Elementary 

With over 200 trips recorded: 

• Norma Rose Point Elementary

Final results

With 7,692 rides VSB proudly took first place for the most amount of bike trips taken! 

Top schools by participation: 

In first place: Kerrisdale Elementary with 500 student participants

In second place: Lord Strathcona Community Elementary with 340 student participants

In eighth place: L'Ecole Bilingue Elementary with 200 student participants

In ninth place: Norma Rose Point Elementary Junior with 195 student participants

Top schools by bike trips:

In first place: Kerrisdale Elementary with 200 bike trips

In third place: False Creek Elementary with 796 bike trips

In fifth place: Lord Strathcona Community Elementary with 605 bike trips

In tenth place: L'Ecole Bilingue Elementary with 450 bike trips

Top schools by other active trips:

In second place: Kerrisdale Elementary with 2000 other active trips

In third place: Norma Rose Point Elementary Junior with1766 other active trips

In sixth place: Lord Tennyson Elementary with 942 other active trips

In eighth place: Edith Cavell Elementary with 823 active trips

What are students and staff saying? 

Students and staff participating in the event were asked to share their thoughts on biking to school. 

"It is more fun to ride my bike to school," says a Grade 1 student at Edith Cavell Elementary. 

“We are always at school faster and right on time when I bike,” adds a kindergarten student from Cavell. 

A Grade 1 student at Queen Alexandra Elementary also shares their favourite part of the week, saying, “I liked putting up the stickers for my class. I had fun coming to school on my bike today!" 

Students at Nightingale enjoyed prizes on the last day of the event, as well as a bike parade to kick-off their sports day event. 

Students at Nightingale Elementary

-- 

Great work to all who participated this year. If you didn’t get a chance to take part in this initiative, visit the VSB Sustainability page for other upcoming opportunities.