In the whirlwind of electoral debates, we often talk about developments, budgets and figures. But behind every bike path, there are faces, lives. And for many, these infrastructures can literally change their lives: they open up new ways of getting around, moving, experiencing the city.
These are stories we don't hear enough.
A friend recently wrote to tell me about hers. She lives in a neighborhood with bike lanes. In 2021, she was raising four young children aged four and under, with a minivan and on-street parking. A cyclist herself, she nevertheless dreaded the arrival of the lanes: she feared losing her parking spaces and having to walk long distances with babies in her arms and toddlers barely able to keep up.
And yet, the predicted catastrophe never happened.
The old spaces had disappeared, of course, but others became available - even in winter - and not much further away. Then life took its course.
Two years later, as she sought to regain balance in her daily life, she decided to give cycling a try, even in winter. It was a revelation. The bike became her breath, her freedom, her moment. It transformed her days, her mood, her physical and mental health.
Today, she fears that certain political decisions will compromise this fragile balance, this new way of living in the city.
A few days later, I bumped into 85-year-old Mr. Brault outside a bakery.
With his bike in hand, he told me that he pedals every day, rain or shine.
He knows the bike network by heart: the detours, the roadworks, his favorite paths. Through his journeys, he rediscovers the city, one street corner at a time.
«Cycling is my way of fighting boredom,» he confided. «And to stay curious.»
These two voices have nothing in common - except the bike.
One found balance in the chaos of everyday life; the other, an engine of freedom and curiosity.
With hundreds of newly elected officials across Quebec, it's time to tell them your stories. These men and women want to hear about how cycling is changing our lives - and these stories matter more than you might think. They are the ones who give concrete meaning to public policy, who remind us that, behind every bike path, there are faces, families, life in the making.
Our elected representatives need courage to continue transforming our cities, to stand up for choices that may sometimes disturb, but that profoundly improve the quality of life. And this courage can be nurtured by talking to them, thanking them and sharing our stories.
Because deep down, these are the stories that we don't hear enough - but that we should listen to, amplify and make resonate.
- Jean-François Rheault, CEO
