While Bemidji’s Active Living is the centerpiece of the Headwaters RDC’s wellness efforts, a variety of related activities can be found throughout the Region.  Click here to see what's going on outside of Bemidji.

Active Living Bemidji has been working behind the scenes over the past 3 years to help frame the issue of Active Living for the Bemidji community. Our office continues to work with our key partners to continue building a community that embraces health and wellness. The support for Active Living continues to grow and affect residents of the Bemidji Area in ways we had never thought possible. Community members, local businesses, units of government, and a variety of other organizations and advocates are recognizing the importance of health, wellness, and equity among all modes of transportation and have made these initiatives a priority in our community.

Active Living Bemidji can boast great success this year after tackling several big issues for the Bemidji Area including:

Policy Development

Intense focus was placed on policy development in support of Active Living for the City of Bemidji (the City) and the Greater Bemidji Area Joint Planning Board (JPB). The goal: to incorporate Active Living principles into plans and policies including the JPB’s Land Use and Transportation documents. Over the winter months the City and Bemidji and Northern Townships were presented with updates to these documents which included Active Living concepts. Accompanying these edits, “Active Living Resolutions” were presented for consideration. These resolutions are not a restrictive mandate, nor will they lead to immediate development of more trails, sidewalks, and bicycle lanes, but are an opportunity for these entities to be thoughtful and systematic about transportation funding decisions, particularly when considering non-motorized modes. The edits to these documents were approved by each of the bodies. These plans and resolutions will set policy direction that will ensure that the Bemidji Area will be designed and built in a manner that makes physical activity a safe and convenient option for all people.

Promotions

Top 30 Destinations for Bicycles

The “Top 30 Destination for Bicycles” in the Bemidji Area project is a new and exciting opportunity for the Active Living partnership. This project was created based on the premise that people are much more likely to be physically active if there are safe and convenient connections to destinations. Given the rising popularity of bicycling in the Bemidji Area, the Partnership also feels that providing secure bicycle parking is important. This project includes the following components:

• A community survey for individuals to vote on their top 5 destinations
• Development of a map that visually shows the location of each destination
• Work with partners to secure bicycle racks at each of the destinations

Strategic Marketing Campaign

Staff of the HRDC are very passionate about health and wellness at the HRDC.  We are very proud of the work that has been completed by all of our partners.  While we have made significant progress, we realize that the average person in the Bemidji Area might not even be aware of our work.  Our whole goal is to inspire the average person to incorporate physical activity into their daily life.  Based on this goal, the Partnership identified the need for an Active Living Bemidji messaging campaign focused on safety, education, and building awareness.   The partnership has contracted with Design Angler, a local design agency to help us creatively think about our message and effective methods of distribution. Keep an eye out for the launch of our campaign this summer!

Programs

Thanks to a wonderful partnership with the City of Bemidji Parks and Recreation Department, we have been able to provide ample opportunities for local residents to be physically active through various programs for all ages and abilities. Such programs as Sanford Steps, a non competitive walking program, 5K run/walks, organized bike rides, and Wii bowling for seniors are continuously seeing an increase in attendance and demand from the public. The City plans to continue these programs long after Active Living funding has ended.

Preparation

Way-Finding Signage

The City of Bemidji, Downtown Development Authority (DDA), and Active Living Bemidji have formed a partnership to explore the installation of a key way-finding sign at the Bemidji Waterfront near the Bemidji Chamber of Commerce. As identified in the City of Bemidji’s recently completed Central City Plan, way-finding signage will provide safe, comfortable and continuous guidance to key destinations throughout the community. Construction of this sign has been approved and installation is currently under construction.  The Active Living Partnership is planning to continue efforts to provide bicycle wayfinding, particularly on existing trails and routes in and around downtown Bemidji. 

Sustainability

As our contract with Blue Cross Blue Shield approaches its 4th year, the Active Living Bemidji Partnership has decided to pursue the theme of sustainability. To help us think about sustainability the Partnership invited Risa Wilkerson from Active Living by Design to come to Bemidji and hold a two-day workshop to discuss sustaining efforts once funding has ended. These workshops were well attended and gave Active Living partners and community members a chance to dive into the issues of the Bemidji Area and brainstorm ideas for potential collaboration into the future.

For more information about Active Living – related efforts in other parts of the Region, click here. Also, for more Bemidji Active Living information, please visit our website: http://www.activelivingbemidji.com