Quesnel stayed ahead of the pack and emerged victorious in the Ministry of Health’s Healthy Families B.C. Walking Challenge.
With a total of 189 entries, Quesnel easily remained at the top of its category, 5,000 – 10,000 population (over Kitimat with 35 entries and Sechelt with 31 entries) and walks away with $10,000 to upgrade or build new walking trails in the community.
Mayor Mary Sjostrom said she was very pleased with Quesnel’s win.
“I wanted to especially thank city planner Tanya Turner, the team at City Hall and the entire community for rising to the occasion with this challenge,” she said.
“I’m looking forward to receiving our cheque at UBCM next week.
“The $10,000 will be used for improved signage for our walking trails.”
Quesnel was also the winner of 50 soccer balls which Sjostrom said would be distributed to various groups in the community.
Ministry of Health director of health promotions Trish Fougner said there was a big ramping up of entries in the last 48 hours of the challenge.
“Everybody could see what it would take to win,” she said.
“We have more than 2,000 entries in the last 48 hours.”
But possibly the most amazing was Tumbler Ridge’s win in its 0 – 5,000 population category.
The community posted 1,152 entries, the largest number for any community of any size in the challenge.
“In fact, the three top communities in that category all posted amazing numbers,” Fougner said.
“However it’s not so much about how many entries, but knowing how this challenge influenced entire communities and how it spurred on even more participation than was reflected by the entries.
“And it sparked a lot of pride in the communities.”
She said even the smaller prizes, like the 50 soccer balls, meant so much to the communities.
“Trail’s soccer association was struggling financially. The community was thrilled and said now the young soccer players can all get active with the new soccer balls,” Fougner reported.
“Just reading the entries on the web site has also given others insight into what was in their own community and hopefully got them out walking.
“Looking across B.C., if you’re planning to visit another community the entries gave you incentive to find those beautiful places around B.C.”
On Tuesday, during the UBCM convention, the Minister of Health Mike de Jong, with the mayors of the five winning communities in attendance, will announce the community that won the additional $50,000.