Walk, Celebrate & Learn: BEST’s Summer Lineup Is Here!
Discover community events, workshops, and festive celebrations happening across this summer. Read what’s happening at BEST this month!
Hey BESTies!
Welcome to the July edition of our newsletter 🌞
What’s in this issue?
📣 Tell us what you'd like to read next: Fill-in a 2-minute survey here
🎉 BEST Move Party: Save the date on Aug 24, 12-6 PM, at David Lam Park
🚶♀️ Summer strolls: Sign-up for July 20 at Green Timbers Urban Forest Park, and July 26 across Granville Bridge on Eventbrite or Meetup
🚲Bike Valet sets Canada Day record and catch us All Summer!
📓 Eco-Voyage Workshops: August sessions are open for registration here!
🎓 UBC x BEST Spotlight: Student-led action plan for Eco‑Voyage
🧓 Seniors on the Move: Join the upcoming August sessions!
🚍 AIM Grant Year 2: Supporting seniors’ mobility with province-wide impact
Your Feedback Needed: A 2-mins survey help shape the BEST newsletter! 📣
What should our newsletter feature next? Transportation tips? Visual stories? Community updates? We have a quick survey to gather your thoughts and shape upcoming editions.
👉 Share your thoughts here - Your input helps BEST become even better!
Beer garden? Food trucks? DJ beats? A Bike Pageant? It’s all happening at BEST Move! 🎉🚴♀️
If that sounds like your kind of summer Sunday, then save the date for BEST Move 2025: A Celebration of Active and Sustainable Transportation on Sunday, August 24th, 2025, from 12:00 to 6:00 PM at David Lam Park.
We’re teaming up with Cascade Bicycle Club, the largest cycling nonprofit in the U.S., to welcome 1300+ riders from Seattle to Vancouver as they cross the finish line. Soak up the celebration and the sea breeze along beautiful False Creek as the ride wraps up in style. This event is made possible thanks to them!
🌟 Plus:
A vibrant BEST booth to support fundraising, connect with our team and mission
On-site Bike Valet to keep your ride safe
A Living Streets walk experience
Don’t miss the Bike Pageant, where bikes shine and personalities roll, hosted by the Vancouver Bike Network. Never seen a bike strut its stuff? Now’s your chance!
📲 Follow us on social media for details and more exciting event announcements!
This Sunday, July 20 - Keep the Summer Alive with a Serene Walk 🌞
A big THANK YOU to everyone who joined our sunny Stanley Park walk on June 28! With 20 enthusiastic walkers, we soaked up the rays, spotted wildlife, and admired the beauty of Beaver Lake. Missed it? No worries! Join us for another gentle and accessible walk through the scenic Green Timbers Urban Forest Park this Sunday, July 20 at 12 PM.
📍 Meeting Point: 100 Ave & 140 St
🚌 Transit Access:
- 325 Newton Exchange Bus ➡️ Southbound 140 St @100 Ave Stop
- Or, a 14-minute walk from King George Skytrain Station
Enjoy forest trails, connect with friendly faces, and unwind around peaceful Green Timbers Lake. The route begins near TransLink’s new 100 Ave Bikeway, part of their Bike Walk Ride Roll initiative, investing in active transportation across Metro Vancouver through their Local Government Funding Programs.
🌿 Last call to sign up on MeetUp or Eventbrite! Don’t miss out on this refreshing community walk.
Next Saturday, July 26 - Granville Walk & Talk: Walking Through Change 🏙️ 🚶♀️
Let’s take a walk into a more connected city! Join us on Saturday, July 26th at 12 PM for a guided Walk & Talk through the evolving urban landscape of False Creek, across the Granville Bridge, and ending at David Lam Park. Along the way, we’ll explore the new pedestrian and cyclist-friendly Granville Connector.
This new route is part of TransLink’s Bike Walk Ride Roll program, an ongoing investment in active transportation across Metro Vancouver, made possible through cost-sharing with local municipalities via the Local Government Funding Programs.
📍 Meeting Point: Olympic Village Station
🚌 Transit Access:
- Olympic Village Station on the Canada Line
- Or, a 20-minute walk from Main Street Science World Station.
👉 Register now on MeetUp or Eventbrite to save your spot!
Bike Valet Breaks Records! Rolling into Summer Festivals 🚲🛴
This year on Canada Day, Bike Valet broke records, parking 652 bikes across six events, our biggest single-day total ever! Thanks for showing up on two wheels and proving that active transportation is here to stay.
✨ Catch us this summer at VCC, the Shipyards, Steveston, Gastown, and more festivals! Check out our event calendar and stop by, we’d love to park your ride.
Register Today: Eco-Voyage Workshops This August 📓✍🏻
Want to move around Vancouver easily, safely, and sustainably? Eco-Voyage workshops cover everything from walking and cycling to e-scooters, transit, and car-sharing.
Learn about Vancouver’s multimodal transportation system, the benefits of multimodal commutes, safety tips on the road, and practical skills and resources to move around sustainably. (⭐Plus: access car-share and bike-share promo codes!) Newcomers and equity-deserving communities are especially welcome!
🗓 Join us at a VPL branch near you:
August 8 | 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM | West Point Grey (Register here)
August 12 | 3:00 – 5:00 PM | Kensington (Register here)
August 28 | 1:30 – 3:30 PM | Renfrew (Register here)
Explore our recent UBC course partnership 🎓💡
We’re thrilled to spotlight UBC Urban Systems students Mohannad, Nicolas, and Xuqing, who were recently featured on the UBC MEL website for their outstanding work supporting BEST’s Eco‑Voyage initiative earlier this year! They dove deep into supporting our team with an Advocacy Systems Map and Action Plan, providing strategic recommendations to guide Eco-Voyage’s future, from identifying key advocacy opportunities to fostering strategic partnerships. Their insights are helping us strengthen our mission for sustainable and inclusive mobility.
Seniors on the Move: Training Highlights 👴👵
In June, our team hosted 3 transit training workshops in Surrey, Vancouver, and Richmond, welcoming 71 participants! With support from the City of Surrey’s Community Grant, we’ll deliver two more sessions this August! Interested in hosting a training at your organization? 📧 Reach out to: sotm.projectcoordinator@best.bc.ca
AIM Grant Year 2: Supporting Senior Mobility Across BC 🚍
We’re thrilled to share that BEST has been selected once again by United Way BC Healthy Aging as the backbone agency for the Aging in Motion (AIM) Grant! Funded by the BC Ministry of Health, AIM Grant supports community organizations across BC to enhance, launch, or innovate transportation services for older adults. (Note: The grant does not cover capital purchases.)
We kicked off Year 2 with our first Community of Practice session, connecting 37 organizations to learn and collaborate.
➡️ Join the conversation and access resources via the AIM: Community Group on the CORE platform.