Town of Wolfville, Nova Scotia

VALLEY HEARTLAND TOUR 2011 A HUGE SUCCESS

On Sunday, July 17th, over 275 Nova Scotians gathered in Wolfville to take part in cycling, Nordic walking, aqua zumba and yoga as part of the 2011 Heartland Tour. The Heartland Tour movement began in 2007 when a small group of cardiologists made a bicycle trip from tip to tip of the province to raise public awareness about cardiovascular disease, and the benefits of living an active lifestyle. Since 2007, the Tour has grown to include annual community-driven events in eight towns around Nova Scotia, engaging thousands of children and adults in a movement to get active and take ownership over their health.
 
The Valley's involvement in the Heartland Tour took on a new life in 2010, when Town of Wolfville’s Active Living Coordinator Shannon Read took on leadership of the event. Under her vision, the event shifted focus from adults to children, and for the past two years, nearly one hundred local kids have developed an interest in cycling through workshops, camps, and bike rodeos. This year, with the help of Michelle Marcinkiewicz, the Valley leg of the Heartland Tour was expanded to include a sports gear swap and mountain bike ride. 

The Annapolis Valley is a booming cycling destination and it has been getting better over the years! The Valley is great for road riding with its scenic country roads and rolling hills. The Valley has it all! Not only does the Valley tailor to road riding but also to mountain biking. The Town of Wolfville recently made the decision to construct a mountain bike preferred trail system and Bike Park in the towns existing “Reservoir Park”. This new trail network consisting of over 4km of trail and Bike Park will be the first of its kind in the area. The Town of Wolfville also is host to the Trips for Kids, a program wherein youth are taken on weekly mountain bikes rides. Trips for Kids is a non-profit, no fee program that supplies kids with all the necessary equipment to appreciate cycling and the environment during a day’s bike ride. Trips for Kids Annapolis Valley is one of two chapters in Nova Scotia and one of six chapters across Canada. The Valley is truly a cycling destination for all and was successfully showcased at the HeartLand Tour.

The Valley leg of this year's Heartland Tour was made possible through the help of a number of generous sponsors and volunteers: the Town of Wolfville, Nova Scotia Fruit Growers Association, Cochranes Pharmasave, the Heart and Stroke Foundation, Acadia University, Eastlink, BMO, Subway, the Wolfville Farmers Market, Scotsburn, the Wolfville detachment of the RCMP, and Katimavik.  Also a very special thank you to our activity and ride leaders: Gary Bustin, Terri Aker, Bill Harvie, Al Mumford, Caroline Whitby, Jaye Cartney, Sandy MacKinnon, Terri McCulloch, Lynda Kanne, Sherry Swanburg, and Richard Gormley.
 
A huge thank you goes out to the hundreds of people who took part in this year's Valley leg of the Heartland Tour in an effort to show Nova Scotians that an active lifestyle and healthy diet are the best means of reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.