Port Alberni is battling Drumheller, AB for bragging rights to the Most Rider Friendly Community in Canada contest.
Both cities made it through to the second round of voting, as did Nisku, AB, which sits a distant third.
Former Port Alberni resident Reana Miller is logging her votes daily from Thunday Bay, ON, where she now lives and works.
“I figure, if Port can do the ‘Ultimate Fishing Town’, they can do this,” Miller said. “And come on: Drumheller?”
“Living in Port Alberni, (the Toy Run) is a big deal. I remember the sound of the bikes going along Johnston Road and around Harbour Quay. It’s part of the city’s identity.
“Everyone in Port Alberni knows about the Toy Run.”
The annual motorcycle rally, held the third weekend in September, draws more than 1,000 motorcyclists from across the province and from as far away as the eastern United States. The two-day event collects toys and raises funds to enable Toy Run volunteers to aid and organize numerous children’s events in the Alberni Valley throughout the year.
Voting for the second round continues until March 30 at www.riderfriendlycontest.ca. as of March 22, both cities had more than 1,000 votes but Drumheller was leading by more than 100 votes.
Toy Run chairman David Wiwchar urges motorcycle riders and supporters to vote every day. “This is the main event,” he said. “Whoever wins the west is probably going to win the competition, unless one of the communities in the east pulls it out of the hat.”
The winning community will receive a top prize of $35,000 in marketing, signs and of course the bragging rights. Wiwchar thinks Port Alberni is the natural winner.
“It’s not just about Toy Run. It’s about letting people know how great of a community Port Alberni is for riders and how welcoming people are to riders,” he said.
“We’re proud of our community. We want people to know about it.”
Highway 4 connecting the east and west coasts of Vancouver Island is one of the greatest scenic highways for riding, he adds.
Finalists will be announced on April 6 and the final round of voting will start April 13. The winning community will be announced May 4.
“May the fourth be with us,” Wiwchar quipped.
