Over the past two weeks, the Waddell-Shankland household was confronted with an overarching question: what do we commute for? And why do we commute? The family of four from Windsor, Ontario, contemplated this question and concluded that Canadians commute largely to see people. From working to playing sports, to seeing shows, and grocery shopping, the Waddell-Shanklands determined that movement is essential for our social and economic activities. 

With this in mind, the family approached this commuting challenge as an opportunity for community-building and education. As they had already sold their car four years ago, they were already consistently using greener modes of transportation, like biking. On the first weekend of the challenge, they invited four families in the neighbourhood with their seven children to cycle to Windsor Bike Kitchen – a local community bike shop. There, the kids learned about basic bike safety and maintenance. “It was a really positive morning for our future generation commuters,” Crystal Waddell says. 

Additionally, the family wanted to see if they could encourage even more people to get involved in embracing active transportation and invited people in their neighbourhood to record the number of kilometres spent using alternative modes of travel, such as cycling, walking and skateboarding. In total, 11 adults participated in this sub-challenge, logging more than 1,500 kilometres of active transportation over a two-week period, effectively avoiding 0.27 tonnes of carbon emissions. These findings were consolidated in a report, which was then shared with participants, the media and Windsor’s city council to help solidify the town’s target of being a leader in active transportation by 2041. “It’s all about greener [and] more liveable communities, which is all part of the net zero process,” says Crystal.

The Foreman household

Building good habits requires clear, achievable goals and a roadmap of how to get there. For the Foreman family, this was especially true in the commuting challenge, where planning out each day was critical for success.

The family of four from Hanwell, New Brunswick, didn’t just make passive notes of when they’d need to commute but actively planned out when they had to leave the house for errands. They organized their meals for the week and only picked up groceries around other activities, using their pre-planned list to avoid any last-minute car trips to the store. 

Above all, the Foremans cut back on driving as much as they could and instead opted for biking to and from commitments. However, the family faced a similar problem that popped up for many of our Live Net Zero families: the lack of active transit infrastructure in their communities. 

Cycling along their rural highway amplified the need for dedicated barrier bike lanes, Natalie Foreman describes. “The traffic goes far too fast; there is no shoulder at some spots on the road,” she says, adding that she knows many community members would love to bike more but are too timid to do so. “Dedicated bike lanes would discourage the convoy of single occupancy cars travelling into the city.”

Like the Waddell-Shanklands, the Foreman family plans to bring their observations from the commuting challenge to the city. “I am a firm believer in recognizing an issue but also offering a solution,” says Natalie.

The Shannon household

Samantha Shannon says she loves using her e-bike to get to and from commitments in her community. “The kids don’t groan about having to go on errands because instead, we are going on a bike ride,” she says. As the family of five from Airdrie, Alberta, lives right on the Trans Canada trail, they have an abundance of bike paths that can take them from point A to point B. The best part? Maximizing e-bike use can reduce a person’s carbon footprint by 24.4 million metric tons, with an average savings of 580 kilograms per person, according to a 2022 report in the journal Transport Policy.

But there are some funding options Samantha says she wishes she knew before purchasing her e-bike. For example, Alberta and British Columbia have SCRAP-IT rebate programs which offer monetary incentives to citizens who want to replace their old vehicles with e-bikes. It’s not just the Western provinces – a program in Nova Scotia provides a $500 rebate for the purchase of qualifying e-bikes from dealerships and retailers. Additionally, the Shannons point out there are always DIY kits available for those who already own a bike but want to convert it to an e-bike.

The Marsh household

The Proulx-Coll family have long been avid campers. About every two weeks during the summer, you can find the family of five from Montréal, Quebec, in the woods enjoying all that nature has to offer. However, upon embarking on the commuting challenge, they decided the large camper trailer they’ve been using for their trips, which is pulled by a sizeable gas-powered pickup truck, won’t help them in their quest to lower household emissions. Thus, when they booked a campsite at Parc National de la Mauricie, they decided to pack a tent and drive their 10-year-old electric vehicle instead.

“The commuting challenge came at the right time where we just decided to reassess our adventure setup, and we decided to try it out,” Jess Coll says. “We all really enjoyed it and it was clear that we’re going to do this more.”

The weekend ended up being a success, with a nine-kilometre canoe trip and a 10-kilometre hike on the itinerary. The family embraced simplicity, packing dehydrated food and ditching their cooler and pillows. The Proulx-Coll children didn’t even seem to mind the minimalist living, Jess describes, despite not having all the amenities they usually do. Following the trip, the family decided they would be selling their trailer and gas-powered vehicle.

“We’re not even convinced that it’s more practical to have a trailer anymore because you bring so much less, and it’s so simple,” Jess describes.

The DePape-Rodrigues household

The Reid family’s approach to the commuting challenge was to find ways to reduce emissions while ensuring the changes they are making are lasting and sustainable. Throughout this challenge, the family of six from Dundas, Ontario, experimented with different ways of moving around town to narrow down what works best for them. 

Jen Reid has started taking public transit more frequently and has found she thoroughly enjoys interacting with people in her community, closing her eyes or reading a book during her commute. However, an inconsistent bus service has made for some lengthy, difficult trips, with some routes not always getting the Reids where they need to go. Thus, they considered other alternatives. 

“Carpooling is an under-utilized strategy for reducing emissions,” says Steve Viau, Jen’s partner. He explains that this method of commuting is likely to resonate with people more than bussing, as it’s quicker and allows for more flexibility. 

Before the challenge began, the Reids had formed a neighbourhood group consisting of ten families as a way of sharing information about what small, local steps can be taken to battle climate change. From in-person backyard meetings to handing out flyers, the Reids have sought to unite their community and brainstorm how they can cut down on emissions. 

“What we’re now doing is trying to get people talking about their schedules and whether they would be open to carpooling together,” he says. “Part of our view of the contest is the idea of sharing information and building community through the lens of climate change and moving towards net zero.

The MacInnis-Boudreau household

Change is difficult, and it’s even more challenging to build meaningful habits that stick. But the MacInnis-Boudreau family from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, found small ways to change their lives that they know they can commit to long-term while still working to improve upon them.