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BNS Updates & Activities
Bike Week in Nova Scotia Starts Friday June 5th.
Bike Week is only a few days away in Nova Scotia so it’s time to tune up and find out about all of the great activities happening near you. For the second year in a row, many communities have coordinated the kick off Bike Week activities around the first Friday of June. We have created the Nova Scotia Bike Week website to help spread the word, so please visit the site to learn what is happening in your area. If you don’t find your community on nsbikeweek.ca, try visiting your local municipal website or check in with your local bike club.
Southwest Sunday Cycle
Bicycle Nova Scotia is coordinating the Southwest Sunday Cycle for the third year in a row in partnership with Southwest Properties, HALIFAX, and Cyclesmith. Sunday June 14th is your chance to ride the Halifax peninsula in comfort and style by cruising the streets with a police escort. A shorter family ride for kids six and up is also scheduled this year. Go to halifax.ca/bikeweek for details and online registration.
If anybody is interested in volunteering as a ride sweeper or at the sign in desk please contact BNS.
BNS Minutes
You can find all of the most recent minutes from the various committees on our website. Please note that some of them are still be uploaded, so keep checking in.
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The Blue Route
Blue Route Photoshoot
The Blue Route is about to get a new home online, and in preparation BNS is doing a photoshoot this Friday, June 5th to create some original images of local cyclists for the new site. This could be your chance to show off your ride on the homepage of Nova Scotia’s burgeoning province-wide cycling network. The photoshoot is happening throughout the day in various locations within HRM (for logistical and budgetary reasons). If you are interested in taking part, please contact Ben Buckwold before this Friday.
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Member Updates
Kings County
Construction on the Greenwich section of the rail trail is expected to start in July and be completed by September. Once completed, cyclists, walkers and runners will be able to travel from Kentville to Wolfville on a non-motorized trail.
Planning continues for the 2015 NS Bike Summit, October 2-4. Plans include the Official Opening of the Greenwich Trail, a Pecha Kucha Cycling Social on the Friday evening, a children's bike rodeo, lots of great rides, and much more.
Velo Cape Breton
Summer events are well underway in Cape Breton. Our opening BBQ and ride, a 30 km loop from the Mira Boat Club, attracted approximately 30 riders, with more members and associates joining them for the meal. The weather was bright and sunny with only the snow in the ditches and ice on the river reminding riders of the winter’s severity. Membership applications are coming in steadily, from renewing and brand spanking new members. Membership in Velo Cape Breton is the bargain of the cycling century, metric or imperial, at only $10 per year.
For the past 6 years, Velo Cape Breton has joined the international Ride of Silence in memory of cyclists injured or killed in collisions with motor vehicles. Sadly, in each of the past two years VCB has honoured local cyclists who lost their lives in road incidents in our community. This year the ride was in memory of 17 year old Devon Gilbert, who lost his life in a collision with a car while cycling along the Point Aconi Road this past January. Fifteen riders turned out for this year’s event, held in Sydney on May 20 (a cold and drizzly evening).
In past years, the ride has attracted up to 50 participants, and has been held in different parts of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality. Dr. Monika Dutt, Chief Medical Officer of Health for Cape Breton, was this year’s honorary ride leader. A local piper, Courtney MacPherson, provided a suitable accompaniment to the procession. Mr. MacPherson has provided his bagpiping skills every year for the Ride of Silence since the Cape Breton version began. The ride traversed the downtown area of Sydney, including a section of the Open Hearth Park active transportation trail. There was excellent cooperation from the Cape Breton Regional Police Service, wonderful coverage by Chris Shannon of The Cape Breton Post and Steve Sutherland of CBC Information Morning, and during the ride, drivers were extremely respectful. Although we all wish this ride was never necessary, it was considered a success in drawing attention to the rights of vulnerable road users and the need for everyone to share the roads respectfully.
Velo Cape Breton’s Women on Wheels (WoW) program had its opening ride on May 3. Initiated in 2013 by then Rides-Captain, Shelley Johnson, the WoW program has been extremely popular. It includes rides, instruction in cycling technique and safety, promotion of health and well being, and social events. WoW rides are held weekly and are open to riders of all ages and skill levels.
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What's Happening around Nova Scotia
Connect2: a sustainable transportation grant program is launched
On Tuesday May 26, the Nova Scotia Department of Energy launched Connect2, a new sustainable transportation grant program that helps connect you to everything you do.
Connect2 is based on the vision that all trips under two kilometres to key community destinations in rural and urban areas of Nova Scotia could be made using sustainable modes of transportation. The availability of multiple modes of transportation helps turn communities into places people want to live, work, and play, and encourages healthy, active lifestyles, affordable travel, and accessibility.
This program will support projects that allow residents to more easily move between community hubs like schools, medical centres, and business districts.
Connect2 is now accepting applications from communities, municipalities and organizations that are working on innovative solutions to sustainable transportation issues in Nova Scotia. The deadline to submit your complete application is June 30. We are accepting expressions of interest now.
Sustainable transportation projects that are focused on infrastructure and design are eligible for up to 50 per cent of eligible costs to a maximum $150,000. Enabling projects with a focus on public education, engagement, marketing, maps and online resources will be eligible for up to 50 per cent of costs, to a maximum $30,000.
For the full project description and to submit an expression of interest please visit:
www.novascotia.ca/sustainabletransportation
The "Heartland Tour" Rolls Out Again This July
2015 marks the ninth consecutive year for the Heartland Tour. Presented by the Cardiac Cycling Society of Nova Scotia, the Tour promotes active living with the objective of encouraging more Nova Scotians to improve their personal health status. This not only benefits the individual and their family, but it also helps reduce the demand on our over-burdened health care system. Regular exercise and good eating habits are well-known contributors to improved health outcomes and, more generally, to an improved quality of life.
The Heartland Tour focuses on cycling as one of many beneficial physical activities and uses community-based cycling events as a vehicle to attract public attention and participation.
Bicycle shops and the local community of active cyclists continue to be supportive of the Tour and we look forward to expanded participation for the 2015 event. We all benefit from the growth of cycling as an active lifestyle choice by more and more of our fellow Nova Scotians. Expansion also favours decisions to improve infrastructure, which in turns increases both opportunity and safety. This year we will be working to raise awareness of the one-metre rule and the growth of a safe cycling culture. As BNS members know, the perception of safety remains an important deterrent to the growth of cycling and we all must work collaboratively to change both the reality and the perception.
We are excited with the increasing interest we are receiving from the provincial government. We feel a major reason for this is the fact that we are not a fundraising group; our primary mission is to improve health and awareness. In all of our conversations, we strive to connect the common agendas of several departments - Health and Wellness, Transportation, Education, and Tourism. Promoting and developing the synergies advantageous to all will reinforce the many health benefits of physical activity such as cycling. And it will also encourage, make obvious, and celebrate the infrastructure and other initiatives that government may undertake to make our province more cycling friendly and, ultimately, a more healthy and attractive place to live and grow. As cycling enthusiasts ourselves, we often talk about the potential for tourism expansion and the economic benefits that can be generated, especially in smaller and rural communities. As we all know, there is a huge overlap in the interests of local cyclists and cycle-based tourism - and it all helps to gain the attention of our political leaders and the voting public.
The Heartland Tour invites all cyclists to join with the Heartland Core Team and community organizers to help celebrate our passion, promote physical activity within our communities, and join with others in what have proven to be highly enjoyable community events. We look forward to seeing you in July.
The 2015 schedule is:
Saturday, July 4 - Halifax
Sunday, July 5 - Truro
Monday, July 6 - Sydney
Tuesday, July 7 - Antigonish
Wednesday, July 8 - New Glasgow
Thursday, July 9 - Bridgewater
Friday, July 10 - Yarmouth
This year we will be adding more walking events and planning our rides to ensure there is something of interest for cyclists of all abilities.
You can keep up to date by visiting us at www.heartlandtour.ca, on FaceBook at www.facebook.com/HeartlandTourNovaScotia or Twitter @HeartlandTourNS."
Thanks,
Jim Vance
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Tatamagouche Bike Rental
The Tatamagouche Bike Rental provides use of adult and youth bicycles on the Butter Trail, available everyday during July and August. The bicycles are good quality mountain bikes, and the trail is level crusher dust with views, bridges, parks, and connections to Main Street.
The program is administered by County of Colchester Recreation Services in partnership with the Bible Hill Junior High Bike Club, and hosted by the Tatamagouche Centre and Creamery Square Heritage Centre.
Rentals are available June 19 - September 8 2015.
Contact 657-2231 for more information.
LOCATIONS
Tatamagouche Centre, Rocklyn Road and Butter Trail
Monday to Friday 9-5, Closed on Saturday and Sunday
Creamery Square Heritage Centre, Creamery Road, off Tata Main Street
Sunday to Friday 10-5, Saturday 9-4
* June hours are Monday to Friday 2-5, Sat 9-4
RATES (cash only)
Adults
$10.00 per half-day - less than 3 hours
$20.00 per day - 3 hours or more
Under 16
$ 5.00 per halfday - less than 3 hours
$10.00 per day - 3 hours or more
POLICIES
All bicycle riders must be 19 years or older unless accompanied by a parent or guardian.
All bicycle riders, and their parent or guardian if under 19 years, must agree to a rental waiver.
A helmet and lock are required equipment, included in each rental.
Ride for Lyme Disease Awareness
Good morning,
I thought I would give you guys a heads up on a duo that are riding across Canada to raise awareness of Lyme disease. They started out in BC and are presently in Manitoba. They plan on being in Nova Scotia on July 2nd and 3rd. Unfortunately, they won't be getting down in the Halifax area as they are crossing over from PEI and going along the coast through Antigonish up to North Sydney; however, they could really use the support of other bike riders. They have been met with large groups in other provinces and it would be great if we could show them support here as well. I'm not sure if this is something you could promote or embrace but I thought I would pass it along – just in case.
Just as an FYI, disease carrying black-legged ticks have now been found in all parts of the province and there are several endemic areas where they can be found in large numbers. Raising awareness is a good thing for Nova Scotia!
http://www.rideforlyme.ca
Donna Lugar
Bedford, Nova Scotia
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