Good news from your part of Canada!

[La Souris 19]

In Montreal... well, tonight, we had parties and concerts everywhere for the St-Jean-Baptiste... but, other than that, our city has now a bike-sharing system and it's popular and effective

http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Cyclis...1266/story.html

Cyclists are taking a shine to Bixi program

26,000 trips taken since launch; About 100 new subscribers join daily

The GazetteMay 29, 2009

Marc Genest (left) gets a closer look at the new Bixi bicycle stands, during car free day in Montreal on September 22, 2008.

Marc Genest (left) gets a closer look at the new Bixi bicycle stands, during car free day in Montreal on September 22, 2008.

Photograph by: Pierre Obendrauf, Montreal Gazette

Bixi is rolling along nicely, officials say.

Over 16 days, about 26,000 trips were taken using Bixi, Montreal's new public bike-sharing system, said Bérengère Thériault, spokesperson for Stationnement de Montréal, which manages the Bixi program for the city.

Altogether, Bixi users have cycled more than 185,000 kilometres since the service was launched on May 12.

About 100 new subscribers are joining Bixi daily. So far, 2,200 people have signed up for monthly ($28) or annual ($78) subscriptions, Thériault said. Users can also get one-day subscriptions for $5.

With a subscription in hand, users get 30 minutes of bike use at no extra cost, after which fees apply.

Rates were set to encourage short trips. When they're done, users can drop off the bicycles at any of the city's Bixi stations.

By June 7, the Bixi network is expected to feature 3,000 bikes at 300 stations. As of yesterday, about 800 bikes were in circulation, and 150 stations had been installed.

"We're satisfied with how things are going," Thériault said. "It's something new, a concept people aren't familiar with, so people will have to get used to it."

Bixi will be in service until November.

© Copyright © The Montreal Gazette

I looked at the Edmonton Journal site but didn't find anything that good.

My mom got a new puppy yesterday! That is great news! But it didn't make the paper.

we still want to see pics

[scandal 951]

My Dad will be celebrating his birthday in Ottawa tomorrow! :dance:

[trailmix 77]

In Montreal... well, tonight, we had parties and concerts everywhere for the St-Jean-Baptiste... but, other than that, our city has now a bike-sharing system and it's popular and effective

Hey that is cool!

[thetreble 19]

I love that bixi bike sharing initiative. I would so do that.

Kitchener-Waterloo has decided to put in a light rail system!

Woo! Public Transit!

[Krikit 1,165]

In Montreal... well, tonight, we had parties and concerts everywhere for the St-Jean-Baptiste... but, other than that, our city has now a bike-sharing system and it's popular and effective

That is totally AWESOME. I can't ever see them implementing something like that where I live, though.

BTW..... if anyone is posting articles, maybe just post the first little bit with a link to the original article. Copyright concerns and all that.

Kitchener-Waterloo has decided to put in a light rail system!

Woo! Public Transit!

Wowee! It feels weird that our country keeps moving on and we're not there. lol

[La Souris 19]

Apparently many cities (I've heard Seattle, Boston, Toronto, Ottawa (they already have a mini-system for this summer)...) are interested in buying the system, so maybe more of you (us when I'll move) will enjoy it.

[MrsCat 6]

I wish I was home to see the unveiling.

Hay River gets Canada Post stamp of approval

Written by Jessica Klinkenberg

Wednesday, 24 June 2009 08:40

Hay River’s inukshuk will be featured on a million stamps starting July 6.

The stamp will be part of a collectiontitled “Roadside Attractions.” the inukshuk, built for the 1978 Arctic Winter Games, will be featured alongside the Watson

Lake, Yukon signpost forests, the Prince George ‘mascot’, Mr. PG and the giant egg of Vegreville, Alberta.

“These four sites were chosen because they’re a great road side attraction, and they’re a lot of fun,” said Nicole Lemire,

Canada Post’s manager of media relations. “(The Inukshuk) excelled as a great element to be included in this.”

. . . . .

Lemire said there are several different ways that someone, something or an event can be chosen as a stamp. She said that they can be requested by an individual, via a mail-in campaign or they received a lot of individual requests.

From there Lemire said that they take into consideration upcoming themes when selecting from the requests.

Town councillor Ken Latour was recently educated on how the Inukshuk stamp really was a big deal for the town of Hay River.

“There’s only 40 stamps issued ever year for the whole country. (Being selected), that’s a big honour. It’s definitely an honour.”

The stamp will be issued July 6, and in honour of this momentous occasion Latour said the town off Hay River will be having a simple ‘launch party’ at 6 p.m. the same day. He said it would be a small celebration which will feature the unveiling of an 8x10” copy of the stamp in front off the Inukshuk.

http://www.hayriverhub.com/index.php?optio...s&Itemid=57

Edited June 26, 2009 by MrsCat

[trailmix 77]

I wish I was home to see the unveiling.

Hay River gets Canada Post stamp of approval

That's a cool stamp MrsCat!

[Krikit 1,165]

I love Inukshuk. I even have a book of them. But that one looks like a transformer or a kangaroo. I like Inukshuk old school!

Edited June 26, 2009 by Krikit

[RYCK 0]

wonder how many of those bikes will end up stolen .. or damaged

[Krikit 1,165]

wonder how many of those bikes will end up stolen .. or damaged

I know the first thing that popped into my head was that they could never do it here because of the crime. Montreal..... not so much. There will definitely be thefts and whatnot, but nowhere near where it will not be economically feasible. Canadians are more environmentally conscious than the Americans.

[La Souris 19]

wonder how many of those bikes will end up stolen .. or damaged

I know the first thing that popped into my head was that they could never do it here because of the crime. Montreal..... not so much. There will definitely be thefts and whatnot, but nowhere near where it will not be economically feasible. Canadians are more environmentally conscious than the Americans.

Bike theft is a big problem in Montreal - however, thieves tend to pick better bikes (resale $$$) or bikes that are easily stolen (no lock, mini lock...) - from what I've seen, it seems a little complicated to destroy the holder to get a not-so-good bike. We'll see... Also, if you don't return the bike, they do charge you $1000 - so you better return it!

Oh, and I love Inukshuk too

Edited June 27, 2009 by La Souris

[thetreble 19]

Probably not much of a re-sale value in those Bixi bikes so I wouldn't worry about theft.

[Krikit 1,165]

[minnew 4]

Well I have been trying to find GOOD news from SK...but unfortunately for the past few days I couldn't find anything! Everything was about taxes, pleading guilty to crimes, or not guilty in the case of the mother who left her newborn baby in a toilet in a Walmart! Ugh! Disgusting! Anyways, I finally found something good!

Saskatchewan residents receive bravery awards:

http://www.leaderpost.com/Entertainment/Sa...6438/story.html