Visitors heading to this year’s Carman Country Fair will have a new option for getting to the grounds while avoiding parking congestion.
The Transportation Working Group of Carman Wellness Connections is introducing a free Bike Corral during the fair, encouraging residents to cycle to and from the event as a healthy, affordable and environmentally friendly transportation option.
Located behind the Exhibit Building near the south entrance to the fairgrounds, the Bike Corral will provide cyclists with a secure, supervised place to leave their bicycles while they enjoy the fair. Volunteers will tag each bicycle and monitor the enclosed storage area until owners return to collect them.
There is no cost to use the Bike Corral, although users are invited to bring a non-perishable grocery item for the Carman Food Pantry if they wish.
The initiative is part of the Transportation Working Group’s broader efforts to promote active transportation and encourage residents to consider alternatives to driving whenever possible.
“There are several things we hope to accomplish by offering this,” said Evelyn Rempel Petkau, a member of the Transportation Working Group. “We want to encourage more people to think of using their bikes or alternative modes of transportation than cars. We are a small enough community that is easy to get around by walking or cycling if one is physically able.”
Rempel Petkau said cycling benefits both individual health and the environment by reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
Transportation is one of six areas identified by Carman Wellness Connections for improving wellness and reducing barriers within the community.
“Carman Wellness Connections has created six working groups to address poverty and promote wellness in Carman and the surrounding area,” she said. “Transportation has been identified as one of those areas of need in our community.”
She noted that Carman has no public transportation within the community or to larger centres such as Winnipeg or Winkler, creating challenges for residents who cannot afford the cost of owning and maintaining a vehicle.
“Most of us know how expensive it is to own a car and keep it fueled,” she said. “For some, those costs are out of reach. For others, there is the environmental impact and so they look for available alternatives.”
The working group hopes the Bike Corral will serve as both an incentive and a practical solution for residents who choose to cycle to the fair.
Beyond the Bike Corral, the group continues to work on long-term transportation initiatives, including advocating for additional bike lanes, installing more bicycle racks throughout the community and exploring other affordable transportation options that improve access to destinations both within and beyond Carman.
If the Bike Corral proves successful, organizers hope to expand the initiative to other community events.
“Yes, we would certainly like to see this service available for other community events,” Rempel Petkau said. “We are always open to suggestions for how we can make transportation more accessible and available in our community.”
