From the Times Colonist: Town that banned bags touts golf carts.
The tiny town in northern Manitoba that was first in Canada to ban plastic shopping bags is now turning its attention to gas-powered vehicles.
Leaf Rapids Mayor Ed Charrier wants residents to drive electric golf carts around town instead. "Why would you start your vehicle for a two-second ride uptown?" asked Charrier, who plans to buy his own cart next spring. "Jump in a golf cart."
While he doesn’t plan to ban gas-powered automobiles, he will promote energy-saving golf carts. The town of 600 people is only about three kilometres from end to end, with homes, shopping, parks and the lake connected by a network of trails.
"You could take a golf cart on them, cruise around all over and start cutting down on greenhouse gases," said Charrier, who drives a Ford half-ton pickup on the 215-kilometre trips into Thompson, the nearest town.
As an incentive, the town will offer a free golf cart with each of 66 houses that the town bought last March, fixed up and put on the market. (The homes have stood empty since 2002 when the local mine closed.)
Charrier said they’re examining other incentives for residents to switch to golf carts that can travel about 70 kilometres before the batteries need recharging. [continue]