SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - The results of the 2009 Commuter Challenge are in and our city council is greener than Ottawa's.

As part of the Commuter Challenge, a national program encouraging Canadians to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and be healthier by choosing alternative ways to get to work, Mayor Gord Van Tighem accepted a challenge from Ottawa City Council to compete.

The results weren't even close.

Councillor Dave McCann said he was delighted Yellowknife's city council won the challenge.

"What we're trying to do is show some collective leadership," he said. "We'd all be a lot better if we did more biking and walking and less driving.

"It's a win for the community as well as a personal win."

Coun. Paul Falvo said he wasn't surprised by the win because the whole council uses alternative modes of travel.

All nine of Yk's councillors competed in the challenge, while one of Ottawa's 23 council members competed, a participation rate of 100 per cent and 4.3 per cent, respectively.

Yk's councillors relied on biking and walking to get around, amassing more than 235 km of travel over the seven-day challenge. They also racked up 263 km of mileage using the bus system.

Van Tighem used many modes of transportation - cycling, walking, riding the bus and even van pooling. Falvo said the mayor was the council's MVP for trying the most ways of travel during the challenge.

"He really put a lot of effort in during the week," Falvo said.

An avid cyclist, McCann said he didn't veer away from his cycling routine of four to six kilometres daily.

"I just continued doing what I was doing before the challenge," McCann said. "I cycle all summer."

While city council claimed bragging rights against Ottawa, they also claimed the top numbers against other organizations and businesses in the city for all but one category. Environment Canada burned more calories than any of the other eight organizations - more than 11,000, almost 1,000 more than city council.

Six of 215 employees participated for the RCMP, while 18 of 300 employees for INAC participated in the challenge.