Bedford Walkers group gets members moving and meeting new people

Hundred of Bedford residents are walking their way to stronger community ties.

The Bedford Walkers Facebook group has seen substantial growth in its first year.

“I met Holly on Talk Bedford, and we both have a strong passion for our community and getting people active. I’m a physiotherapist. She’s a trainer,” explained Jennifer Manuel, co-creator of the page. “So, we were like, how can we get Bedford moving? And so we just made a group where we actually went on Talk Bedford at first, I think, and posted a picture and had people join. And then we created a group called Bedford Walkers. And we have 400 people in it now.”

No matter the weather, Manuel said folks show up for the community event.

“We started about a year ago, July last year. And it keeps growing, keeps getting bigger and bigger. I think we had one day that one of us wasn’t here, but it’s been consistent. Every day. Rain shine, winter, snow, everything.

“I think people just want to get out. They want to be active, but they don’t want to do it alone. And so, you know, people come to walk, which is great. We are super passionate about fitness and exercise, but it’s also about just connection and people want that social connection. People want to talk to you and people don’t want to walk alone.”

Every Tuesday, the group meets at DeWolf Park in Bedford, laced up and ready to go at 6:30 p.m.

“We leave at 6:30. We have some people that are adamant that we take our picture. We take a picture right before we go,” explained Manuel. “So, yeah, the fun chatting is before and every Tuesday, 6:30, rain or shine, we’re here.”

Both she and co-creator Hollie Chow know community and keeping healthy are important.

“I work in the gym, and there’s lots of people that say, ‘Oh, you know, I sit on my butt all day in my office, and, you know, I go home after work, cook supper, or deal with my kids, and I’m too tired to do anything,’” said Chow.

“And I said, ‘Well, you know what? Get your kids’ dinner ready before and then come on out. It’s only half hour. You don’t have to walk the whole thing. Like Jen said, we do 2 km to five or six.”

“My day job is I work for the community health team, so it’s all about wellness and community,” said Manuel. “I know from my own personal life, I just feel like that social piece is so important. And, whether it’s your family, your neighbors, your coworkers, everybody can be a part of this. And Bedford is a great place to do it, Dewolf Park is a beautiful place to do it. So here we are.”

As for the number of walkers each week, it doesn’t matter much to Manuel; the thing that matters is people know she will be there.

“If we can make it fun and help people with their wellness journey, then that’s what we’re here for. I say the last couple weeks we’ve had about I think 19, maybe last week. Sometimes we have 12, sometimes we have two. Sometimes it varies.”

And no topic of conversation is off the table.

“We talk about everything from food to family, to just wellness in general to people’s lives. So, there’s no set agenda. It’s whether people want to talk about,” she said.

“And it’s all fitness level. So, we have people here who are slower walkers, faster walkers. We just really want to be inclusive to everybody in the community and anybody can do it,” said Manuel.

“Fresh air is always good for everybody. I am inside all day. I don’t sit around a desk or anything, but I am in a stuffy, cold air conditioning gym all day,” said Chow. “So getting outside in the fresh air, whether it’s like Jen said, raining, snowing for all summer, we go every day and it’s just it’s so good.”

Making new friends and staying healthy continues to be their focus.

“It’s good to get outside of your comfort zone. You see the same people every single day. You work with the same people every day. You go to the gym, you see the same people. And just, you know, having active friends is great,” said Chow. “We have some people that are my age. We have senior citizens. People bring their dogs, they bring their kids. It’s awesome.”

Whether you’re new to the area, or have been there your whole life, Bedford Walkers is open to everyone.

“I love community, I mean, I’ve been in Bedford for 20 years now. I’m very passionate about getting my community together,” said Manuel. “We had a lot of people that are new to Bedford, so I think that was great for them because they didn’t know anybody.

“So, it was just a great way to meet people. I think people just feel comfortable that they can show up at the end of a workday, and it doesn’t matter what kind of day they had that makes them feel better. They feel good because they’re doing something active and talking with people. I think they just like being included.”

“I didn’t grow up here. I grew up in the West End. But I now live in Bedford. I’ve been here, I don’t know, 10 years or so, probably,” said Chow. “The community is great, there’s lots of outdoor things. We have the awesome gazebo, we do barbecues, have the volleyball pit. And it’s just it’s a nice scenic walk.”

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