Join me and your fellow advocates at #OBS19
By Yvette Tendick, President, Guelph Coalition for Active Transportation
Speaking as an active transportation advocate who has attended 9 of the 10 yearly Ontario Bike Summits to date, I definitely believe it is a worthwhile use of your time.
Here are my top 8 reasons – based on experience – on why a cycling advocates should go to the Ontario Bike Summit (OBS) this year:
Meet your peeps
I don’t know about you, but in my home city I often feel like I’m alone when I ride my bike around. Since most people don’t ride a bike regularly, some people find me “different”, which feels a bit isolating.
When you go to the OBS, you are literally surrounded by hundreds of people who love to ride bikes. You are guaranteed that the person sitting next to you at your table will want to talk about bikes and how to make it safer and more inviting for people to ride them. Go! Don’t be alone in your desire for a better city.
Rub shoulders with cycling movers and shakers
In any typical year, you have the opportunity to network with advocates, politicians, planners and engineers from all over Ontario, from Windsor to Thunder Bay to Ottawa and beyond. Even delegates from Quebec and other provinces have started making a regular appearance. These are the people who have the power to change community infrastructure and attitudes. Get connected!
Be inspired to continue your advocacy
Sometimes I get discouraged when our group’s advocacy efforts seem to take forever to get results, or don’t happen at all. The OBS offers some tools to help advocates with their unique challenges, and provides inspiration to keep going.
Learn tricks on how to communicate about cycling
This is a key point. We need tools in our toolbox to know how to deal with naysayers. After all, more people on bikes improves the quality of life for everyone, including motorists. Find out from others who are doing this work how to approach local politicians, staff and citizens who have yet to discover the benefits more cycling can bring.
Let others know that you exist
Maybe you are already doing some great advocacy work in your community. In that case, don’t hide, let your light shine! Your success and knowledge means that you have a lot to offer other people at the summit. Come and share your strategies.
Be inspired by keynote speakers that show you what is possible
Over the years, the OBS has had keynote speakers from across North America. Experts from Chicago, Vancouver, Portland, etc. There are also keynote addresses from the Queen’s Park All Party Cycling Caucus. It is very encouraging to discover that support for cycling is non-partisan.
Attend the breakout sessions for in-depth conversations
Every year there are breakout sessions run by planners, health care professionals, tourism experts, advocates and more. You have the opportunity to learn from the best about topics that interest you.
Be part of the forward momentum
Just when you think that you are not making progress in your community, you soon learn that the overall trend in Ontario, Canada and around the world is to increase the number of people on bikes. This summit might just give you the staying power to realize that is it only a matter of time (and advocacy!) before your community adopts more cycling friendly policies. But your community needs your help in order to make that transformation. Come to the summit and make your advocacy more effective.
I hope that you see value in the OBS and plan on attending. If you’re able to come, look for me and say hello. I’m always looking to connect and reconnect with my advocate friends.
Early bird registration for the summit is open and the draft agenda has been posted online: www.sharetheroad.ca/OBS
