News
Cold Weather Means More Fun – 10 Exciting Ideas to Get Moving this Winter!
Winter Walk Day (WWD) will begin on Wednesday, February 1st this year, and continue throughout the month of February. We share 10 winter activities and ideas that are guaranteed to encourage more walking and wheeling all month long.
Ajax Launches Youth Active School Travel Toolkit
In October 2022, the Town of Ajax celebrated the launch of their Youth Active School Travel Toolkit. We spoke to Armi De Francia — who championed the project, about equity, storytelling, and the focus on youth voices during the development of the toolkit.
Read Your Way to More Walking and Wheeling
We have compiled a list of 62 books for children and transportation practitioners to encourage active journeys to school. This selection can serve as a resource for parents, teachers, and those working in active school travel.
Webinar Series on Active School Travel Policy
Join GCC and TCAT for our three-part webinar series that will explore key research findings and recommendations for active school travel policies. These sessions will provide an overview of the policy recommendations report, share traffic calming best practices, and explore effective snow maintenance strategies.
Results from ‘School Streets’ Pilots in Four Ontario Cities
School Streets projects encourage active school travel, improve air quality, and increase road safety. The recently published Ontario School Streets Pilot Program Summary Report provides key data and recommendations from four School Streets pilot projects across Ontario.
Pedestrian Safety Blog of Spells for Trick-or-Treaters
Halloween can be scary for many reasons, the scariest reason being that children’s risk of being hit by a person driving a car is higher on Halloween than any other day of the year. Here are some safety spells that can help reduce the risk.
Addressing School Zone Chaos with Drive to 5
Drive to 5 encourages driving parents and caregivers to park outside of the school zone and walk the rest of the journey. It is a low-barrier initiative that improves road safety and encourages active school travel.
Get Inspired by the New Ideas Lab
The Ideas Lab is a new resource on SchoolTravel.ca that is a searchable catalogue of actions that parents, schools, school boards, municipalities, and the broader community can take to support active school journeys.
Simple Steps to Join the Global Active Travel Movement
International Walk to School Month – also known as IWALK or Walktober – is a global celebration of active school travel that takes place every October. Students are encouraged to walk or wheel to school and participate in activities that promote active transportation.
How “Active School Travel Zones” Can Support Walking and Biking to School
Creating an Active School Travel Zone designation in Ontario would prioritize active modes of travel over cars and make school routes safer and more comfortable for students to walk, bike, or roll to school.
Tips to Start the School Year Off on the Right Foot
The transition back to school can be an exciting time of year – a chance for a fresh start with new beginnings. Whatever your family’s school year “resolutions” may be, active school travel can help your child achieve them! Start planning to be prepared for active journeys to school.
Supporting Active School Travel through Public Policy
Policies play a significant role in shaping children’s school travel behaviour. To help encourage active school travel, researchers have developed 57 policy recommendations for school boards, municipalities, and provincial governments to implement across communities.
‘School Streets’ are Creating Space for Play in Hamilton
The Hamilton School Streets pilot project creates extra space for play in temporary car-free zones. The project closes streets at Strathcona Elementary School every Tuesday morning throughout June.
Collaborating on Active Transportation Skills for Students
The walking & wheeling skills training project conducted a best practices audit, developed an online resource hub, and identified collective calls to action to support more effective collaboration across jurisdictions.
Get Active with the Family this Summer!
School is almost out for the summer! With our friends at Ophea, we have developed 5 summer activities to get your family active and ready for back to school.
Student leader talks about his high school’s booming cycling culture
A young cycling advocate from Markham’s Bill Hogarth Secondary School talks about how good infrastructure and peer support is important in creating a cycling culture.
Students in Mississauga give ‘School Streets’ an A+ for Fun!
Singing, bubble blowing, chalk drawing, and many more activities were enjoyed along a temporary car-free Havenwood Drive as part of the City of Mississauga’s School Streets pilot project.
‘School Streets’ Launched in Markham
The Markham School Streets Pilot launched at John McCrae Public School, creating temporary road closures during peak school drop-off and pick-up times. The Pilot is closing Sticker Avenue for four consecutive Wednesdays in May.
Get your Wheel on for Bike to School Week
Spring is in full swing, giving many people the itch to get back on their bikes. If you’re looking to scratch that itch, it’s time for your family to dust off your bikes, pump up your tires, and dig out your helmets because Bike to School Week (B2SW) is happening May 30 – June 3, […]
Ontario Students Sprang into Spring!
To celebrate the new season, students across Ontario took part in the annual Spring into Spring campaign by choosing active ways to get to school or exercising outdoors.
OAST News April 2022
Read about:
Walking/wheeling skills training resources, Toronto’s Active and Safe Routes to School pilot project highlights, Canadian Electric School Bus Alliance launch and more…
Town of Collingwood collaborates with local Youth Centre to promote winter active school transportation
‘On The Move’ project, led by the Town of Collingwood, collaborated with Collingwood Youth Centre to promote winter active transportation to school. A team of 12 youngsters came together to capture images and work with younger students to build a promotional package for Winter Walk Day.
Ajax developing a Youth Active School Travel toolkit to make active transportation more equitable
Town of Ajax’s Youth Active School Travel Toolkit attempts to address some of the social challenges that stand in the way of establishing a culture of active mobility. And, the best part—the resource is co-authored by a group of six students aged 14-16!
Spring Kids into Action!
After many months of enduring the harsh Canadian winter, spring is finally upon us! With the snow melting, birds chirping, and sun shining, it is a great time to journey outside. To hop, leap, jump, skip, or “spring” into the new season, we encourage families to choose active ways to get to school and teachers […]
iWalk-iWheel News Spring 2022
Read about Spring into Spring, Kids in Urban Planning, School Streets & more…
A parent’s idea initiates a community event to celebrate cycling to school
Scott Read’s keen interest in active transportation resulted in infrastructure changes at Thunder Bay’s C.D. Howe Public School and also the creation of an annual Fill-A-Bike-Rack-Day which brings the community together to celebrate cycling!
‘School Streets’ Coming this Spring
The Ontario School Streets Pilot (OSSP) is testing the implementation of car-free zones surrounding schools in the Ontario communities of Hamilton, Mississauga, and Markham.
Get Outside and Celebrate Winter Walk Day!
While the weather outside may look frightful, spending time outdoors during the winter season can be delightful!
OAST News January 2022
Read about Parent Engagement strategies, School Streets, Walking & wheeling skills training in schools, Project spotlights and more…
Windsor-Essex launches Active School Travel Charter
The Windsor-Essex County Active School Travel (WEC-AST) Committee has spearheaded the development of an Active School Travel Charter that calls upon the community partners to provide sustained support, resources, and education for active school transportation over the long term.
Niagara region is teaching road safety through interactive presentations
Between the Lines: Safe & Active Travel for School engages students in Grades K to 3, through a series of in-class presentations that teach three key messages: the role of Crossing Guards, basics of road safety, and the benefits of active school travel.
Top Strategies to Engage Parents in Active School Travel
The Ontario Active School Travel (OAST) Council’s Parent Engagement Working Group has gathered information on engaging parents in active school travel. The key findings of this work have been summarized into a report available for download.
Creating Car-Free ‘School Streets’ Around Ontario Schools
Green Communities Canada (GCC) is proud to introduce the Ontario School Streets Pilot project, which is testing the creation of car-free zones in streets adjacent to schools in three Canadian cities: Hamilton, Markham, and Mississauga.
In School Walking & Wheeling Skills Training Project
Green Communities Canada and Stuckless Consulting Inc. have partnered on a new project focused on walking & wheeling skills training in schools.
5 Ways to Get Your Walk On During International Walk to School Month
International Walk to School Month – also known as IWALK or Walktober – is a global celebration of active school travel. Here are our top five ways to get your walk on during IWALK.
iWalk-iWheel News Fall 2021
Read about International Walk to School Month (IWALK) 2021, Teacher leading walk to school movement, Parents creating cycling school bus and more…
Parents create a cycling school bus
Cycling school bus led by parents becomes popular on social media after it was filmed by videographer Josh Orita and received over 5,000 views on Twitter.
Teacher leads the way in encouraging active school transportation
Teacher Tina Smith from Stonebridge Public School in Markham created certificates and checklists to promote active transportation to school among students, parents and teachers amidst the pandemic and school closures.
OAST News September 2021
International Walk to School Month Resources, Ontario School Streets Pilot, On Your Feet Challenge, City of Toronto’s Active and Safe Routes to School pilot project and more…
Blind River continues support for active school transport with improved infrastructure
The Town has sourced regional support to implement infrastructure improvements — including a staff parking lot, fencing and grounds improvements at St. Mary’s Catholic School.
Peterborough’s new active school travel program focuses on scootering and walking
The project is using support from the OAST Fund to create a scooter and pedestrian-focused education and encouragement program called Roll and Stroll; Families Moving Together.
Ottawa: new app promotes active school travel
Ottawa’s EnviroCentre is set to gamify walking to school with a new tool. The organization is working with Ottawa Student Transportation Authority (OSTA) to develop and launch a new Walk to School App, called Hop!.
Rolling Forward with Cycling Skills Training in Ontario Schools
Rolling Forward with Cycling Skills Training in Ontario webinar shares existing resources and ideas for cycling skills training in schools to keep programs moving forward, instead of reinventing the wheel in each community.
OAST News June 2021
Read about:
National Active Transportation Strategy, North Bay/Brampton & Caledon AST spotlight, Students Take on Urban Planning and more…
Students take on urban planning in Toronto
Green Communities Canada’s School Travel Planning (STP) team in Toronto made use of the challenges posed by the lockdown to involve students in suggesting changes to the urban infrastructure around a school!
Brampton & Caledon: Green lens
A new active school travel initiative being implemented across Brampton & Caledon is approaching school travel through a distinct ecological lens. Led by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), it will engage students through a unique air quality monitoring activity using lichen.
North Bay: Bridging the Gap
North Bay’s active school travel project is a great example of identifying and addressing local active transportation needs through our provincial program. They are utilizing their latest grant from OAST to get Grade 7 & 8 students to bike to school.
Recommendations for National Active Transportation Strategy from Active School Travel Canada
Excerpts from the submission by the Active School Travel Canada Working Group to the Government of Canada regarding the proposed National Active Transportation Strategy and Fund.
OAST News March 2021
Read about: New OAST Fund recipients, Ajax/Barrie and Simcoe-Muskoka AST spotlight, New OAST Council members and more…
Barrie/Simcoe-Muskoka: Beating the odds
At the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU), the team implementing the On The Move active school travel project faced the twin challenges of a work to rule campaign in area schools followed by COVID-19 in 2020.
Ajax: Seeking sustainability
Ajax is no newbie to active school travel (AST) initiatives. Initial work to get more kids walking and wheeling to school began as early as 2010! But, a grant from the OAST Fund in 2019 helped boost those efforts over the last two years.
OAST News November 2020
Responding to the ‘new normal’; Timiskaming and Brantford/Brant County AST Spotlight; A bike park with a difference; and more…
Telling the AST Story
This OAST Network coaching session explores the principles of effective storytelling as a way to help strengthen active school travel communications. With examples from the world of AST and beyond.
Signs of the Time: School Wayfinding
The webinar highlights current best practices in wayfinding for schools with case studies from four different communities: London, York Region, City of Toronto, and Ville de Gatineau.
Social Marketing & AST 101
This OAST Network coaching session will help you develop a basic understanding of social marketing – to develop and integrate marketing concepts with other approaches to influence behaviours that benefit individuals and communities for the greater social good.
Teach Them and They Will Walk
This Ontario Active School Travel webinar focuses on current and emerging resources and best practices in pedestrian safety education across the province of Ontario, with presentations from three OAST Fund communities: London, Waterloo, and Ottawa.
OAST News February 2020
OAST spotlight Thunder Bay, Winter Walk Day 2020, the new research project that will measure the impact of AST and more…
iWalk-iWheel News Winter 2020
Read about:
Winter Walk Day (WWD) 2020, Reducing Traffic Speed, Walk together Wednesdays and more…
OAST News December 2019
Read about Training event, North Bay AST Spotlight, On Your Feet Challenge and more…
School Streets
Ontario Active School Travel and 8 80 Cities presented this webinar on School Streets on 21 November 2019. Presenters from the London Borough of Hackney, U.K., and 8 80 Cities shared their experiences of planning and implementing School Streets and highlighted resources available to support these initiatives.
OAST News October 2019
Read about: Walking school bus in Guelph, Education Minister confirming support for OAST, School Streets and more…
iWalk-iWheel News Fall 2019
Read about:
IWALK 2019, Rewarding Students, Student storytellers and more…
OAST News August 2019
Read about:
OAST Fund Spotlights: Niagara; Study on Barriers to Switching to AST Among Parents; OAST Council News and more…
In the Eye of the Beholder
Learn about the key findings from two recent studies that explored parent and child viewpoints on active school travel
OAST News June 2019
Read about:
OAST Fund Spotlight: Peterborough; Parent and child perceptions of AST; School business officials strengthen focus on AST and more…
OAST News May 2019
Read about:
Brockville Walking School Bus; Ontario Active School Travel Fund Round Two; School Zones 2.0 and more…
OAST News March 2019
Read about:
OAST Fund Spotlight: Ottawa; Niagara Student Transportation Services launches a walk zone section on its website; and more…
Hamilton launches parent engagement strategy
In late November, active and sustainable school travel (ASST) partners in Hamilton came together to launch a new initiative designed to get more parents involved in local ASST projects. The event, which was attended by two dozen parents, public health staff and school board officials, marked the first step in a two-year process to develop, […]
Ontario Active School Travel Fund now open for applications
We are now soliciting interest in Round 2 of the Ontario Active School Travel Fund. Communities anywhere in Ontario who are looking to increase rates of walking and wheeling to school are encouraged to apply. Support is available to strengthen and expand existing active school travel initiatives, or to help get new initiatives underway, and […]
School Traffic Management webinar
This webinar explores how the School Traffic Management Program was established, describes challenges of working collaboratively across departments, and relates success stories of this work to date.
Updated STP Toolkit webinar
We’ve given the Canadian School Travel Planning Toolkit a major refresh for Spring 2018. The updated School Travel Planning (STP) Toolkit was launched on 31 May 2018. View the webinar recording and slide deck. New features include a Guide for Regional Stakeholders, an additional ‘Keep it Going’ Phase, Tips for Equity, and a Bikeabout Tool. Find out about the School Travel […]
“Dirty Drop-off” Webinar
Dirty Drop-off: Children’s exposure to air pollutants at school tackles the issue of vehicle emissions around schools and the effect on students.
Funding for Active School Travel initiatives in Ontario
Up to $100K is available to partnership-based projects that expand active school travel and build a foundation for lasting impact.
Upper Grand rocks IWALK
The Upper Grand District School Board (UGDSB) pulled out all the stops this year to promote International Walk to School Day (IWALK). The result: 46 schools participated — 60 percent of all UGDSB schools. Of the participating schools, 15 achieved student participation rates of more than 80 percent. UGDSB credits several factors for its successful […]
Ontario invests in active school travel
ONTARIO IS committing more than $3m over the next three years to roll out active school travel across Ontario.
October is IWALK Month
International Walk to School Day (IWALK) is Wednesday 4 October 2017. Thousands of schools will be participating in IWALK throughout October. If your school is celebrating walking to school this month, register your event to receive a Certificate of Participation. Our resources can help you plan and promote IWALK Day and Month. Share your stories of walking (and wheeling) to […]
The important role of school crossing guards
Research shows that school crossing guards can increase rates of walking to school.
Active transportation strategy for Canada
A new website urges support for a Canadian active transportation strategy that will boost everyday walking, cycling, and active school travel.
Bike to School Webinar
The webinar showcases Canadian bike education programs and explores ways to enable students to cycle to school.
Sample School Travel Plans
Sample School Travel Plans: Our Lady of Lourdes School Travel Plan Queen Elizabeth School Travel Plan St. Jerome School Travel Plan Cassandra School Travel Plan Leaside High School Travel Plan Forest Hill Collegiate Institute School Travel Plan