Summer Starts Here

STARTS HERE 04 By Pat Rediger After deciding to become a one- vehicle family in 1995, Shawn Kennedy soon found himself riding his bike to work every day and whenever had errands. Since he was already spending so much time on his bike, a friend encouraged him to join the Winnipeg Cycling Club (WCC) for new adventures. "I started by doing the Northspokes ride, which begins in north Winnipeg and travels to Lockport. I found that I really enjoyed it. I just kept doing it and I haven't stopped," says Kennedy, who is now the club's president. Kennedy says that cycling allows people to experience traveling and sightseeing in a most gratifying manner. The experience is so much different than travelling by vehicle and he encourages all cycling enthusiasts to join the club with like-minded individuals. The WCC is the city's oldest recreational cycling club and has 65 members between the ages of 40 and 80. It offers more than 100 scheduled rides each year, both road and off-road, that are rated for beginners to experts. One of the best ways to learn about the club is by joining a "try-out" ride on Wednesday evening. "Our try-out rides remain a popular feature – it's the second-most visited page on our website," Kennedy says. "Most try-outs occur on our Wednesday Cycle-in-the-City road rides, which are rated at the R1 Beginner level. This allows the try-out rider to experience and enjoy a club group ride at a slower pace in a quiet and scenic urban environment. They also get to see the club ride operations for the first time, how it is organized, the ride briefing, the safety briefing, and so on." Most rides occur in and around Winnipeg, although some rides have been held as far east as Whiteshell Provincial Park and as far west as Riding Mountain National Park. Most start points are inside Winnipeg and vary for each ride. Longer rides oen have a start point outside the city and usually return to the original starting point. The distance varies for each ride. Wednesdays are usually 20 to 30 kilometres in length, while Mondays are usually 40 K. Weekend rides are 50 to 100 kilometres and can last up to five hours. The group typically takes breaks on longer rides which offers everybody a chance to reunite. Kennedy says that while it's enjoyable to experience a group cycle, it can also be demanding. Both the ride leader and the riders must pay attention at all times to their bike, how they are riding, their immediate environment, cyclists around them, and the vehicles and pedestrians in their vicinity. "The best parts about being on a group ride are sharing the ride and the scenery, learning about the mechanics of group riding, and socializing aer the ride," Kennedy says. One of the benefits of belonging to the club is its digital library, which is a storehouse for individual club rides and events. Members can access the information and receive information on each ride including its rating, duration, distance and description as well as interactive route maps that allow a rider to view and learn the details of a ride route. Kennedy says beyond the recreational aspects, cycling can fill an important role in the future transportation plans for the city. "Not only is it zero-impact good exercise, it offers tremendous potential for reducing traffic congestion. Having seen this first-hand in cities like Amsterdam and Copenhagen, I am a believer," he says. "While Winnipeg does have special challenges, and not everyone can ride a bike, there is a way forward that will benefit everyone." Membership fees are $94 and include the club fee and the Manitoba Cycling Association license. The fee provides Cycling Canada-sponsored cycling accident and liability insurance at club events. Two-wheel touring CYCLING GROUP HELPS RIDERS GAIN A NEW PERSPECTIVE ON THEIR SURROUNDINGS THE WINNIPEG CYCLING CLUB IS THE CITY'S OLDEST RECREATIONAL CYCLING CLUB AND ORGANIZES MORE THAN 100 SCHEDULED RIDES EACH YEAR FOR ITS MEMBERS. SUPPLIED PHOTO. A recent study indicated that slightly more than half of all Canadians enjoyed at least one staycation in 2017 – and that trend is expected to continue for the foreseeable future. Here are some of the top staycation options in Manitoba this summer. Our golf season may be far too short, but there are plenty of beautiful local courses to check out. Falcon Lake Golf Course (lakelandgolfmanagement.com/our-golf- courses) is considered by many to be one of the premier golf courses in Manitoba. Located just 75 minutes east of Winnipeg, golfers of all abilities can enjoy the rugged splendor of this 6,922-yards course on majestic Falcon Lake. Want to travel back in history, but not having any luck finding a time travel machine? If you're answer was yes then pack your bags and head out to the Mennonite Heritage Village (www. mennoniteheritagevillage.com) in Steinbach. This museum features a turn-of-the century Russian Mennonite street village, traditional Mennonite fare courtesy of the Livery Barn Restaurant, a classic Mennonite house and a fully operational Dutch windmill. Manitoba's Passion Play (passionplay.ca) is celebrating its 20th anniversary this summer. Taking place in the community of La Riviere, this made-in-Manitoba Passion Play provides an account of the suffering Jesus Christ suffered during the final days of his life. It's produced by Oak Valley Productions, a local non-profit group established in 1998. What would summer be without the Manitoba Stampede (manitobastampede. ca), the province's only professional rodeo. This year's event is scheduled to take place July 18 to 21 in the town of Morris, located about 51 kilometres south of Winnipeg. In addition to chuckwagon races and bull riding, the stampede offers some of the best in local entertainment, an ag fair and kids activities. The town of Dauphin has become synonymous with country music. That's largely because of the success of Dauphin's Countryfest (countryfest.ca) and the thousands of country music fans it attracts each year. This year's star-studded lineup of acts includes the Brothers Osborne, Terri Clark, Jason Aldean, Charlie Major and Tobi Keith. The Icelandic Festival of Manitoba (icelandicfestival.com) is the second oldest continuously-run ethnic festival in North America, according to festival organizers. Its aim is to promote and sustain interest in Icelandic culture and ancestry. In addition to its annual parade, it also features a film festival, a staged Viking battle, a midway and rides, a beach volleyball tournament and plenty of family-friendly activities. The Manitoba Threshermen's Reunion and Stampede (www.threshermensmb.ca) will mark a milestone later this summer when it celebrates its 65th anniversary. This year's event will take place July 25 to 28 in Austin and will feature pioneer demonstrations in a 20-building homesteader's village, Canada's largest collection of vintage farm equipment, nightly rodeos, rides, kids' activities and live music. If you enjoy two-wheel adventures, Riding Mountain National Park near Dauphin (friendsofridingmountain.ca) is the place for you. The region's forested parklands feature kilometres of bike trails that are ideally suited for fat bikes. Friends of Riding Mountain in Wasagaming rents bikes year-round to visitors looking to explore the park. Anyone who has spent time in Manitoba's Interlake region can attest to its picture- perfect beauty. In fact, it's served as the inspiration for many of the artists whose work will be on display this summer as part of the Interlake WAVE Artists' Studio Tour (www.watchthewave.ca). The WAVE happens twice a year, with the second of two sessions scheduled for Aug. 31 to Sept. 1. Want to get down and dirty this summer? If so, you may want to try the Mud Hero obstacle run series (mudhero.com). Teams of competitors must navigate an obstacle course while dealing with mud – plenty of mud – in a fun run that's designed to challenge participants who can choose from various course options designed for a variety of fitness levels. While the strawberry may be Manitoba's unofficial summer fruit, it's the plum that takes centre stage each August. That's when town of Plum Coulee plays host to the annual Plum Fest (facebook.com/PlumFest). This family fun event, which runs Aug. 16 to 18, offers live music, entertainment, a skate part, giant inflatables, a parade and farmers market. Nearby Sunset Beach offers a nice reprieve from the heat. STICKING CLOSE TO HOME FALCON LAKE GOLF COURSE. PHOTO BY DARCY FINLEY

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