The Green Ride for Green Jobs

In summer 2019, PLT Canada embarked on an epic cross-Canada journey led by Green Jobs Manager Zac Wagman. From May to September, Zac pedaled over 9,215 km, from Victoria, B.C. to St. John’s, Newfoundland, on a wooden bicycle made by Picolo Velo, an SFI-certified company based in Montreal. Along the way, he met over 230 Green Jobs youth, and shared over 50 of their stories online to elevate them and raise awareness of the types of jobs that are available in the forest and conservation sectors. Zac’s older brother Nick accompanied him on the ride, providing mental and emotional support throughout the journey. The pair rode together through hailstorms, snow, forest fire smoke, and even Hurricane Dorian.

The journey was made possible thanks to our generous sponsors and our strong employer networks across the Canadian Parks Council and Sustainable Forestry Initiative.

View our video from the Green Ride for Green Jobs

FACTS AND STATS PLT Canada’s cross-Canada journey included:
Zac interviewed youth across Canada about their Green Jobs experiences.	230 interactions with youth, and 52 online youth spotlights visits with 52 Green Jobs employers
Meetings with 7 members of Parliament, 4 cabinet ministers, 2 mayors, 1 deputy mayor, and 1 city councilor	We held 39 events across the country, such as this one in Ottawa with the former Minister of the Environment. Meetings with 7 members of Parliament, 4 cabinet ministers, 2 mayors, 1 deputy mayor, and 1 city councilor
Zac and Nick had many close encounters with Canadian wildlife.	Multiple animal encounters: black bears, a grizzly bear, deer, elk, foxes, and lots of farm dogs!

The engagement campaign also resulted in:

Over 31,500
shares, likes, comments, and clicks on our social media posts

12.5x increase
in social media followers
(from 485 to 6,044)

Our network of SFI-certified organizations and partners across the country provided tremendous support by helping to organize events, by connecting us with community leaders, by sponsoring the journey, and even occasionally hosting the brothers for an evening as they passed through town.