It’s the first day of spring and North Bay still has a rather unwelcome amount of snow but some residents are already making preparations for outdoor activities.
Cycling Advocates of Nipissing (CAN) is a working group of cycling enthusiasts who have paired up with Discovery Routes Trails Organization to promote North Bay’s cycling community.
“We’re going to start a family cycling club in June. We’re hoping to get families out and together to see some of the trails North Bay has to offer,” Jennifer McCourt shared in an interview.
McCourt, the executive director for Discovery Routes, is also a member of the CAN Facebook group.
Rod Bilz, CAN’s founder, keeps CAN members up to date on what North Bay is doing to make the city a cyclist-friendly hub here in the north.
On March 11, Bilz posted an encouraging status on their Facebook page.
“The meeting with City of North Bay staff went very well yesterday! Great to have Ian Kilgour, Bryan Kimber and Robin Cameron from the Parks and Recreation & Leisure Services call the meeting. A lot of information was exchanged and a commitment to keep these lines of communication going. Definitely some progressive cycling infrastructure is going to start to take shape this year and through 2016 as well.”
CAN has quite a bit of support within North Bay, Bilz revealed.
“In addition to the city staff, Jennifer McCourt from Discovery Routes and Melanie Simms Davis from the Health Unit were in attendance with a constant presence in the cycling community,” he also wrote.
One of the common rituals of spring is making certain bicycles are in working order before taking them out.
John Stephens’s son, Kevin Stephens, owns Cycle Works, a shop devoted to cycling enthusiasts. While Kevin is on vacation during March break, John is watching the shop and admitted that residents are already getting prepared for good cycling weather.
“Most people are worried about pot holes at this time of year,” Stephens stated. “Bikers are already going to various gyms in the area, working on building up their stamina.”
Stephens also mentioned how the Health Unit is very supportive about cyclists in the area.
“They used to have maps for the cycling trails in the area. The bus route maps also showed the trails,” he recalled. “The Health Unit’s been very supportive towards cyclists.”
Until the snow clears off, cyclists will need to wait for the trails to be open and safe for use.
For more information on Cycling Advocates of Nipissing, view their webpage at the Discovery Routes website or visit them on Facebook.
