A plea for a generation of informed cyclists

Do you remember your very first pedal stroke? That magical moment when you found your balance; that feeling of flying; that pride in having overcome your fear to finally take off? And the progress you made afterwards, which led you to gain the confidence to venture out on two wheels?

What is sometimes seen as a necessary part of childhood is far from universal, as the following examples show. the hundreds of women who learn to pedal as adults.

The bicycle, the leading independent mobility tool

At Vélo Québec, we wanted to share the pleasure of cycling with all Quebec children, so that they could freely explore this physical activity, which is easy to integrate into their daily lives, develops their independence and widens their range of action. Inspired by cycling paradises (Denmark, Netherlands, Belgium), since 2015 we have been deploying the Cycliste averti in the province's elementary school.

In 10 years, more than 37,800 children in 15 regions of Québec have taken up their first independent mobility tool: the bicycle.. No other program has ever offered such a complete program, combining essential road safety training, motor skill practice and, above all, the application of these new skills in real-life situations, on the road, in their neighborhood. Thanks to the involvement of committed teachers, and under the benevolent supervision of specially-trained instructors, our little apprentice cyclists aged 10 to 12 learned to ride safely, analyze their environment and interact with other road users.

Our alumni have their say

Cycliste averti, what difference does it make to young people's lives? We put the question to two former participants, who benefited from this apprenticeship as children. As young adults, they have resolutely adopted cycling as part of their daily routine, and have decided to become instructors in their own right, to support the next generation of experienced cyclists.

If you or your child have also taken part in Cycliste averti, we'd love to hear about the impact this experience has had on your mobility. or that of your family. That's why we're launching a call for testimonials, to which we hope many of you will respond.

Giving ourselves the means to achieve our ambitions

The 10th anniversary of Cycliste averti is also an opportunity to recognize and thank all those who believe in the importance of training our young people in active mobility: the school teams, the instructors (over 360 this past year!) and the agents who deploy the program in their territory, whether it's a neighborhood or an entire region. Thanks to these partners, young people are trained from Sainte-Angèle de Merici, in Bas-Saint-Laurent, to the Montreal borough of Ville-Saint-Laurent, via Saint-Bruno-de-Guigues, in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, or Saint-Gabriel-de-Brandon, in Lanaudière.

Our gratitude extends, of course, to our financial backers, who see in Cycliste averti a lever for contributing to their mission: the Ministry of the Environment (MELCCFP), to encourage future generations to adopt a sustainable, low-carbon mode of mobility; the Ministry of Education, to keep our young people active; the SAAQ, to reduce the number of road accident victims. The national funding they grant us trickles down to the 4 corners of Quebec, complemented by local funding from municipalities and MRCs to extend the program's reach.

After 10 years, the future of Cycliste averti is unfortunately still uncertain, and its growth is regularly hampered by uncertainty. In spite of the program's proven track record, it now deserves sufficient, recurrent and predictable interministerial funding, program, similar to that provided by the French government for the How to ride a bike, in line with the first ambition of its cycling and walking plan. It's time to give the Cycliste averti program the means to achieve its ultimate goal of’provide a whole generation with the tools to make the choice of active, sustainable mobility. 

I'd also like to extend a special thank you to Magali Bebronne, Program Director, and her team of Catherine Plante, Nadège Gaillard, Gabriella Stien and Manuel Boulanger, whose commitment and passion make all the difference to the success of Cycliste averti. I would also like to express my gratitude to all Vélo Québec employees, past and present, who, over the past ten years, have contributed in one way or another to this program.