Introduction
Imagine a day when all the cities and towns in our province have bike lanes. Imagine that your employer actually encourages you to walk, run, or wheel to work by providing a change room with a shower. Imagine too that your employer gives you a bonus for not owning a car because they realize you're a more productive and ultimately less expensive employee. Imagine that the subdivision you live in has sidewalks on every street and traffic calming mechanisms, meaning your kids can walk to school. Imagine safe, attractive, and convenient connections within and between rural communities.
This idyllic sounding future is attainable. But we'll only get there if we work together. Luckily, in Nova Scotia, there is already a well developed network of organizations working cooperatively together.
Listed below are:
- National organizations with AT supportive mandates
- Primary provincial AT partners
For specific AT programming available in our province, please see the Homegrown Strategies page.
National Organizations with AT Supportive Mandates
The built environment is defined as the arrangment of activities or land uses within communitiy settings and the nature of the physical connections between the places where we live, work and play. The built environment can impact how active we are.
Active Transportation - Canada features a regular posting of news articles, studies, reports, and other items that have relevance in this field, with previous postings available in an archive. In addition, pictures of existing Active Transportation infrastructure from communities across Canada are profiled each week.
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The Bronfman Foundation is a key supporter of the Trans Canada Trail Foundation.
The Canadian Urban Transit Association has a strong vested interest in the development of sustainable transportation with AT being a key component.
The Centre for Sustainable Transportation, which was established in the Toronto Region in the mid 1990’s, is now an integral part of the University of Winnipeg.
The David Suzuki Foundation has promoted and supported AT initiatives as they relate to the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
The Federation of Canadian Municipalities has been a supporter of the AT movement and administers the Green Infrastructure Program.
This international organization for scooter and kicksled sport offers the latest news and competition dates.
Pollution Probe (Toronto) has a number of initiatives that reduce pollution through the use of AT.
The Heart and Stroke Foundation is a volunteer-based health charity that aims to eliminate and reduce the impact of heart disease and stroke through research, advocacy, and the promotion of healthy living (including AT).
The Trans Canada Trail Foundation is a legacy of Canada 125 and when complete, will span the country with 17,000 kms of shared-use trail.
Primary Provincial AT Partners
These partners include the Nova Scotia Department of Health Promotion and Protection the Ecology Action Centre, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Nova Scotia, and Recreation Nova Scotia. The collective aim is to bring active transportation into the consciousness of every Nova Scotian and to develop infrastructure, policy, legislation, and public education to promote it.
EAC's Transportation Division - TRAX - aims to make sustainable transportation options more viable in Nova Scotia.
Led by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Nova Scotia, the Heart&Stroke Walkabout ™. is creating a culture of walking in Nova Scotia.
Take The Roof Off Winter (TTROW) is Nova Scotia’s winter active campaign designed to help Nova Scotians of all ages improve their health and quality of life by being outdoors and being active.
For a comprehensive list of other provincial organizations offering AT programming, see the Homegrown Strategies section of this website.
