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Terrace loses bike competition to Smithers

Winning municipality presented with Golden Saddle Award
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SMITHERS Mayor Taylor Bachrach accepts the 2013 Golden Saddle Award.

Mayor David Pernarowski is focusing on the positive outcomes of a recent loss to Smithers.

"I wasn't really looking at the negative aspects. I think what we accomplished is to promote active transportation," Pernarowski said of the late May Bike to Work Week competition between the two municipalities to see who could sign up the most teams. "This was always intended to be a friendly competition."

Pernarowski was at Smithers city council meeting June 11 to hand over the Golden Saddle to their mayor Taylor Bachrach.

Terrace has about twice the population of their cousin town, so the defeat (Smithers' 65 teams to Terrace's 42 and 322 to 190 participants) was not trifling.

Pernarowski said before he left for the drive to Smithers that he was prepared to take any heat for the loss, and that he credits Smithers for enrolling that many teams, adding that Terrace will have its comeuppance next year.

"Terrace is moving in a lot of positive directions with bike trails and bike paths," Pernarowski said. "We will be taking that golden saddle back next year, there's no doubt in my mind ... it's a matter of getting out there, tapping into Terrace's community pride."

Bike-to-Work is designed to promote and highlight the benefits of active transportation. "I think we accomplished that between the two cities," Pernarowski said.