The Battle River Watershed Alliance (BRWA) will host its second annual Rolling Down the River bike tour in June, travelling 500 kilometres across the watershed in five days.
The cycling Watershed Streamers will start at the Battle River headwaters at Battle Lake on Sunday, June 9 and will finish in Edgerton on June 13. The tour is part of the BRWA’s goal to encourage Whole Health, recognizing we need a clean and healthy environment to have vibrant communities and a strong economy.
”The bike ride provides an opportunity for people to get active outdoors and experience the watershed in a new and exciting way,” said Nathalie Stanley. “The more we explore our Battle River County the more we appreciate it. And on a bike you see things in an all new light, because we go so slow.”
During the inaugural ride last June, the Streamers rode from Battle Lake to North Battleford, Sask where the Battle River joins the North Saskatchewan River. The trip was filled with laughter and encouragement, and incredible support from the funders and communities they passed through, which is why they are doing it again.
Participants will travel approximately 100 kilometres each day, moving from the headwaters down through Wetaskiwin, Ferintosh, Bashaw, Halkirk, Coronation and Consort up through Czar and Provost. It won’t all be sweat, highways and sore butts, however. Along the way, the group will stop daily to visit schools, municipal offices and interesting sites such as the new wind farm around Halkirk to raise awareness of Whole Health, both with the cyclists and people they meet.
The focus for this year’s bike tour will be local agriculture and the role it plays in supporting communities and the environment. There will be many opportunities to see agriculture in action along the ride and the menu will consist of many local products, prepared by travelling chefs Malorie Aube, the owner of Camrose’s locally-sourced Country Accent Bistro, and retired caterer/BRWA Board member Midge Lambert. The Streamers will even be able to sample Ribstone Creek Beer brewed in Edgerton to celebrate the end of the trip.
This tour is a great way to get active outdoors while learning about your community and the beauty of Alberta’s Parkland. The BRWA invites riders to join on the trip. You could be hard core and go the whole 500 kilometres or join the team for an hour or a single day as they pass through your town. There is no registration fee and all meals and accommodation will be covered for the first 12 watershed residents who register.
If you have any questions, or you wish to register for the tour, contact program co-ordinator Nathalie Stanley at 780 672-0276 or via email at Nathalie@battleriverwaterhsed.ca.
Be part of a movement and get moving.
— Submitted