The rivalry between Qualicum Beach and Parksville is set to continue with the upcoming Bike to Work Week campaign.
Organizer Jim Swanson said the City of Parksville and the Town of Qualicum Beach have challenged each other to see which community can get the most riders to take part in their community ride.
“We have two rides, a ride with the Qualicum Beach mayor and council on Monday, May 28, and a ride with the Parksville mayor and council the next day,” Swanson said. “We came up with the idea of having a little challenge between the two communities.”
“Both mayors have agreed to get involved.”
He noted that because Parksville has a higher population than Qualicum Beach, the winner will be determined by the percentage of residents who take part.
The Qualicum Beach ride is slated to start at 4 p.m. from the start of the Dollymount trail next to the Legion on Veterans’ Way, while Parksville’s ride will kick off at 4 p.m. t the Community Park gazebo on the waterfront.
The contest will also include a second challenge to see which community can get the most civic employees taking part.
The winner will be announced at the community ride at Little Qualicum Cheeseworks on Sunday, June 3.
Participants must register before the start of the event. The Ride with the Mayor registration will start at 3:30 p.m. at the start area. Civic employees are asked to contact their team leader to register. All registrants will be covered by ICBC’s insurance vocwerage for Bike to Work Week participants.