Report on Kanata Nepean Bicycle Club,

Presentation to OCAC, September 2003

The KNBC has had a good year exploring new routes and attracting new members. Our membership stands at 77, up by 10 per cent over last year. While most of our members live in Kanata or Nepean, some come from Gatineau and other parts of Ottawa such as Fitzroy, Manotick and Orleans. Several of our members belong to both KNBC and OBC, and some ride with the Cross Canada Cycle Touring Association on Thursdays.

Issues that have been raised at our board meetings this year included safety, education and liability as well as the routine running of the club. There are about 12 tour leaders who are encouraged to take a Can-Bike II course and encourage correct riding skills through example and the occasional pep talk at the beginning of the ride. We are planning a first aid/CPR course for the membership to take during the winter, which will be partially subsidised for tour leaders. By enabling tour leaders to take Can-Bike II and first aid courses, and choosing routes that are bicycle friendly, we attempt to maximise safety for our members. We have a liability waiver that riders have to sign when joining the club and before each ride, and tour leaders alert members to tricky intersections, train tracks and other potential hazards. However, on the advice of a lawyer, we are looking into taking out liability insurance for the coming year.

There have been between 10 and 20 people on most of the rides this year. New tours have ventured to Morris Island Conservation Centre (92 km from Kanata), Metcalfe (85 km from Centrepointe), Carleton Place by road and returning on the rail trail (70 km from Kanata). Twenty-two people participated in the weekend tour in Peterborough, 15 in Montreal and six people went to Prescott. Participants car-pooled to Montreal and Peterborough and cycled to Prescott. During the year we have had several rides using the new portions of the NCC paths, the new cycle lanes on Hunt Club Road and the paved shoulders on Timm Drive.

Our year will finish with an Annual General Meeting in November where a new board will be elected, awards will be made and one of our members will show slides from a trip in Alaska.