The Grand Marais City Council passed a resolution in January 2011 to support active living in the city. The Grand Marais Parks Department has taken the lead on this and working with the State Health Improvement Program (SHIP) recently installed seven bike racks in downtown Grand Marais. This rack, in the Joynes’ Ben Franklin parking lot, has been put to good use.
In January 2011, the Grand Marais City Council passed a resolution supporting the city’s commitments to Active Living. Active Living is the idea that people of all ages and abilities have the opportunity to use their bodies in daily activities such as gardening, biking or walking to work or for recreation, shoveling snow, playing in parks.
Kristin DeArruda Wharton, RN, is the Cook County coordinator of the Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP) and she explains, “It is well known that the environment we live, work, and play in greatly impacts our ability to be active in our daily lives. This resolution created a precedent for considering Active Living as one important factor in all city projects, policies and decisions.”
DeArruda Wharton said the City of Grand Marais Parks and Recreation Department has taken a leading role. The Recreation Park built and maintains a community garden that provides low-impact physical activity to the aging population of park residents. Now in its second season, the Rec Park garden is a beautiful, thriving location for community interaction, physical activity and growing fresh produce. “Park and community residents say they love the opportunity to grow fresh vegetables and get to know their neighbors at the garden. This project was one of the first community vegetable gardens on municipal land along the North Shore,” said DeArruda Wharton.
The Parks Department also installed seven bicycle racks at downtown Grand Marais parks and businesses. One cyclist visiting a local bookstore recently commented that the new bicycle racks make Grand Marais stand out as a bicycle-friendly community. He was also impressed by the cooperation between health organizations, city and tourism organizations to promote bicycling and walking. The new bike racks around town that were funded by a SHIP grant. The locations are Drury Lane Book Store, Historical Society, Joynes Ben Franklin parking lot, Artist Point/Coast Guard Station, Harbor Park and other city locations.
In addition to these infrastructure projects, residents joined together in May 2011 to celebrate getting their bodies active after a long winter with the 2nd annual Get Active! week. A bright banner hung over Wisconsin Street at the entrance to downtown Grand Marais and the harbor. The banner was a cheerful reminder to Move It! Hike! Bike! Paddle It!
Project partners include the city of Grand Marais Parks and Recreation Department, Cook County Senior Center, Area Agency on Aging, community members, Cook County School Board, Cook County North Shore Hospital, Sawtooth Mountain Clinic, Cook County Local Energy Project, Superior North Outdoor Shop, Ski and Run Club, Cook County Highway Department, Cook County Law Enforcement, Cook County Public Health and Human Services, Cook County News-Herald, Cook County Tourism Association, Cooperation Station Daycare, Arrowhead Regional Development Commission, 90.7 WTIP, North Shore Radio and Superior North Outdoor Store.
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