Brockville Climate Action Group

The Frontenac Arch Biosphere Network is spearheading the development of a Biosphere Trails Council, and has issued the following proposal.

Why a Biosphere Trails Council?

“Regional Trail Committees act as the support network for the development, management and promotion of these provincial trail structures at the local level. As most trail development occurs at the grass roots level, support at the local level translates into support at the provincial level.” (Ontario Trails Council)

A Biosphere-based council would embrace the geological and biological diversity of the area as recognized by the United Nations. Through the creation of a Biosphere Trails Council, municipalities and constituent organizations would benefit from the support and guidance of the Ontario Trails Council, which fosters the development of trails across the province. It is a strong advocate of regionally based trails councils.

Peak Moment / 03 July 2008

Ryan Nassichuk builds food gardens for people. His bicycle and trailer are the sole transport for himself, tools, and materials - including soil and plants! This horticulturist also builds container gardens and composters. Tour a backyard garden in which a 6-week class of students filled raised beds with soil, compost and fertilizer, did succession planting, and built a low-cost composter. Recently Ryan has added free seed-sharing to his wisdom-sharing, while continuing to propagate food gardens throughout Vancouver. This man has a low ecological footprint -- or should we say bike tire tread?

REAL Update / Alexis Asselin / April 2008

Members of REAL's Climate Change Action Team (CCAT) have launched a project that will provide bike carts (those are the ones that you pull behind your bike, not to be confused with trailers that carry bikes!) to Smiths Falls. In the process, we will train interested youth in general bicycle and cart building and maintenance.

As reported in today's Recorder & Times, Brockville city council has approved a bike lane feasibility study.

"Beach's motion directed the city's operations department to study the feasibility of creating a network of north-south, east-west bike lanes," it states.

The report is to come back to council's operations committee by December 1.

Kudos to council!

[ ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE ]

Montreal Gazette / Christopher Maughan / 11 June 2008

Montrealers will get to try North America's first self-serve bicycle rental system as early as this fall, said André Lavallée, the city's executive committee member in charge of transportation.

The new system will feature public bike stations set up across the city where commuters will be able to use a credit card, rent a bike for a minimal fee and then drop it off at a second station near their intended destination.

Ottawa Citizen / Laurel-Lea Shannon / 02 June 2008

When a two-tonne car collides with a nine-kilogram bike, it ain't pretty and we all know who gets hurt.

Riding a bike in the city involves cycling on roads in motor traffic, where every year hundreds of cyclists are involved in collisions with vehicles. The city of Ottawa reported 231 "incidents" in 2006 -- one cyclist died.

To stay safe, cyclists need to have a road-worthy bike, good cycling skills and well-tuned street-smarts -- but safety for cyclists also depends on motorists understanding that bicycles are legitimate vehicles.