The Ontario Bike Summit is coming to town.
The annual conference, which hosts speakers and workshops on expanding bike use, will run from June 28-29, according to organizer Eleanor McMahon.
This is the summit’s third year following events in Burlington and Waterloo.
The organization was founded following the death of McMahon’s husband, OPP sergeant Greg Stobbart, who was hit by a truck while cycling.
Last year’s speakers included the mayor of Portland, a city known for its innovative cycling programs, and the National Capital Commission’s CEO Marie Lemay. Lemay asked for the summit to come to Ottawa next, says McMahon.
But she says Lemay’s request wasn’t the only reason for the summit to come to Ottawa. Ottawa is making a name for itself as a city that values biking, she says, through initiatives by the city and the NCC.
“Ottawa has over the years closed the parkways on Sundays, made cycling a priority. This has been obvious in it’s planning.”
The NCC has made cycling a priority and is supportive of the conference, says NCC spokesperson Jasmine Leduc, but it’s too early for them to discuss their part in it.
The focus of this year’s conference will be cutting childhood obesity through cycling programs and safer routes to school.
Alex deVries, vice-president of Ottawa-based group Citizens for Safe Cycling, says the focus is worthwhile. He says it’s important to encourage youngsters to use bikes as a mode of transportation early in life.
“The momentum we have in Ottawa is encouraging,” he adds, citing the city’s enthusiasm for segregated bike lanes.
Biking has certainly been a controversial topic in the news and at city hall.
The segregated bike lane on Laurier Avenue was passed by city council at the end of February, amidst complaints by residents of three condominiums on the street who thought it would block parking spaces.
Bike safety has also been a major issue. Last September, a 16-year-old Ottawa boy died after being struck by a vehicle while biking home.