A Few Bike-Related BITS that Makes our Minds Spin
The Senior Circuit
In 2012, the Cycling Without Age (CWA) movement started in Copenhagen to help the elderly get out and about in their communities by offering free bike rides to local nursing home residents. The program has since spread to close to 35 countries in the world, including our own neck of the woods.
Last year, Winchester’s Dundas Manor bought a special rig from CWA so staff members could provide some pedal power for residents who wanted to take a ride in the summer. This year, the Cornwall Senior Friendly Community Committee has plans (pending funding approval) to establish their own local chapter to enhance the lives of local seniors.
The bespoke trishaws—think of a hybrid between a tricycle and a rickshaw— come with an electric assist motor to help volunteers pedal up hills, a weather hood, and a rain/windproof blanket to keep seniors comfortable and warm. Each one accommodates up to two passengers. Ride on!
RIGHT ON TRACK
Watch out for the latest racing series to land in the area. Starting Monday, June 13 (and, weather permitting, every Monday until September), the Cornwall BMX Club will host races on their brand new track at 3260 Vincent Massey Drive. (Locals will know the location as Floral Drive in Guindon Park.)
Dan Drouin, the club’s president and track operator has dreamt of hosting BMX Canada-sanctioned races in Cornwall since 2013. A City of Cornwall employee and BMX enthusiast, he worked tirelessly to make his dream come true, cobbling together volunteers, sponsors, funds and even a piece of land.
Until now, club members typically had to travel to race once or twice a week in Ottawa; they also attended special events in Nepean, Gananoque, Kingston, Milton, Gatineau, and Coteau-du-Lac. But all that travel, and the trials and tribulations that go along with it, are a thing of the past. It’s now their time to shine at home.
