Vélo Québec celebrated 50 years of cycling action in 2017. From a small non-profit organization dedicated to developing cycling among young people, Vélo Québec now works on all fronts to develop and promote cycling.
Since its inception, Vélo Québec has invested in all areas of action enabling it to contribute to the development of cycling in Quebec: organization of events and trips, consulting services for municipalities, development of active transportation programs for schools, organizations and municipalities, publication of magazines, books, guides and maps. Participating in public consultations, defending the interests of cyclists, proposing regulatory changes, giving our opinion on what will encourage or discourage cycling - this is the daily lot of the work we do representing cyclists to municipal, provincial and federal governments.
Over the years, we've built a diversified, self-sufficient organization by reinvesting the profits generated by our travel agency and membership fees in our mission. Despite the headwinds of the current pandemic, Vélo Québec has continued its efforts to convince the government to open bike repair shops as an essential service, and then add bicycle sales to the list. We have produced a free practical guide to help municipalities set up Temporary measures for cyclists and pedestrians and collaborated with public authorities to produce pandemic instructions such as the Cyclists' code of conduct as well as a Guide for managers of cycling networks and mountain bike infrastructures. We have proposed discovery bike routes to the City of Montreal, and intervened publicly to speed up the implementation of temporary bike lanes and defend them when opposition arose.
In short, even if the last few months have been trying - one third of our permanent team laid off, 65% of our annual revenue lost due to the cancellation of our events and particularly our trips - Vélo Québec was there. Today, more than ever, we need the support of our cycling community to continue our work of representation and intervention. To do so, I invite you to become a member of Vélo Québec. You'll be adding your voice to ours to make Quebec an exemplary place where cycling is a pleasure, whatever your age or type of activity.
At a time when concerns such as the environment, energy transition, sustainable mobility and urban planning on a more human scale are reminding us of the urgent need to act, opting for cycling, as we have been doing since 1967, means we're all moving in the right direction.
Thank you for your support.
Suzanne Lareau
President and General Manager