Invitation to join us for a walk
The insert own Club name invite you to join us for a walk insert date. Our group will be
walking on trails and country roads in the area.
The insert own Club name are a group of walkers who welcome new participants and are
part of the international Volkssport group.
The most popular distances for our walks are 5 km (which takes approximately one hour
at an average pace) and 10 km (two hours) although optional longer routes are available.
What is Volkssport? It is a non-competitive sport that encompasses walking, biking,
swimming cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and skating. Our goal is to promote a
healthy outdoor activity for fun, fitness and friendship. Walking is by far the most
popular activity. Volkssport was started in Germany in 1968 to encourage people to
exercise and migrated to Canada in 1983. The CVF is a member of the International
Federation of Popular Sports (IVV) and now has over 40 walking clubs/associations
throughout Canada including the North West Territories. (www.walks.ca)
Year Round Events (YRE’s) are routes set up by local clubs to showcase their town or
city. Registration is generally at a local start point such as a hotel or tourist attraction.
These walks can be done as group walks with the local Volkssport club, with a friend or
on your own. There are YRE’s in every province and territory in Canada.
Local Volkssport clubs also schedule guided group walks (called “events’) that only take
place on a specific day. This might be hiking a trail at Peggy’s Cove in Nova Scotia,
ambling along a path on Saltspring Island or walking in a provincial park in Manitoba.
As well, there are walking festivals hosted by local clubs such as the yearly Mountain
Majesty weekend in Alberta and the Ottawa International Walking Festival. All walks
cost a nominal fee which is determined by the local club. Most of the time walkers are
invited to socialize after an event.
There is an optional awards program that adds an incentive to be active. Every YRE or
event walk has its own unique stamp and each time you complete a walk you can stamp
your appropriate award booklet. There are special programs here in Canada such as
walking in all the Capital cities, walking by Waterfalls, Cenotaphs or Lighthouses to
name just a few.
For those whose wanderings take them further afield there are many YRE’s in every state
in the United States, throughout Britain and in 49 countries on five continents. You can
meander through Greenwich Village in New York, tackle the hills of San Francisco or
follow in the footsteps of the Beatles in Liverpool, England.