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Mayors compete in bike challenge

Smithers Mayor Taylor Bachrach challenged Terrace Mayor Dave Pernarowski to a Bike to Work Week challenge.

The date is set and the prize is being crafted for a challenge Smithers Mayor Taylor Bachrach issued to Terrace Mayor Dave Pernarowski.

The friendly mayoral competition is for Bike to Work Week held annually at the end of May.

Each mayor’s goal is to have the most teams from their community participate in the week-long event.

Both Bachrach and Pernarowski are looking forward to the week and hope through making the event a competition, residents will have extra incentive to register as participants.

In addition to bragging rights for the winning municipality, Bachrach hopes his homemade trophy dubbed “The Golden Saddle,” will provide inspiration.

The Golden Saddle is a vintage bicycle seat Bachrach will spray-paint gold.

“I am looking forward to seeing Mayor Bachrach’s homemade trophy,” Mayor Pernarowski said.

When asked how confident he was that Smithers would win the challenge, Bachrach was diplomatic.

“We’ll see how it goes,” he said.

“Terrace will give us a good run for our money.”

This is Terrace’s second year participating in the event, and the first year for Smithers.

Although each mayor hopes to come out of the week-long event victorious, they both see the challenge as an opportunity to showcase the benefits of cycling, a healthy lifestyle, as well as the natural beauty of the region.

Organizers for Bike to Work Week Smithers include Taylor Bachrach, Virginia Cobbett, Sheena Miller, Nadia Nowak and Danielle Smyth.

Miller said the week features a series of events and workshops, with an Expo Fair launching the event on Monday, May 27, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Other events include a Critical Mass Ride, helmet fittings, and a passport stamp system, that when completed qualifies participants to enter a raffle for a new bike.

“All of us are working to make this a rad event,” Miller said.

Bike to Work Week kicks off Monday May 27 and runs until Friday, May 31.

For more information, visit www.biketoworkweek.ca/smithers or the Facebook event page www.facebook.com/BikeToWorkSmithers.