Advocating for a generation of savvy cyclists

Do you remember your very first attempts at cycling? That magical moment when you found your balance; that feeling of flying; that pride in overcoming your fear and finally setting off? And then your progress, which gave you confidence and led you to venture out onto the road on two wheels?

What is sometimes considered a rite of passage in childhood is far from universal, as evidenced by the hundreds of women who learn to ride a bike as adults.

Cycling, the first tool for independent mobility

At Vélo Québec, we wanted to share the joy of cycling with all children in Quebec, encouraging them to freely explore this physical activity that is easy to integrate into their daily lives, develops their independence, and expands their range of action. Inspired by cycling paradises (Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium), we have been rolling out the Cycliste averti program in the province’s elementary schools since 2015.

In 10 years, more than 37,800 children from 15 regions of Quebec have learned to master their first means of independent transportation: the bicycle. No other program has ever offered such a comprehensive curriculum, combining essential road safety knowledge, motor skills training, and, above all, the opportunity to put these new skills into practice in real-life situations on the roads in their neighborhoods. Thanks to the involvement of dedicated teachers and the watchful supervision of specially trained instructors, our young cycling apprentices, aged 10 to 12, learned how to ride safely, analyze their environment, and interact with other road users.

A word from the alumni

What difference does Cycliste averti make in young people’s lives? We asked two former participants who benefited from this training as children. Now young adults, they have embraced cycling as part of their daily lives and decided to become instructors themselves, to support the next generation of apprentices.

If you or your child have also participated in Cycliste averti, we are curious to know what effects this experience has had on your mobility or that of your family. That is why we are 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 the driving forces who believe in the importance of educating our young people about active mobility: the school teams, the instructors (more than 360 this past year!), and the partners who implement the program in their area, whether it be a neighborhood or an entire region. It is thanks to these partners that young people are being trained from Sainte-Angèle de Merici in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region to the Montreal borough of Ville-Saint-Laurent, Saint-Bruno-de-Guigues in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, orSaint-Gabriel-de-Brandon in Lanaudière.

Our gratitude extends, of course, to the funders who recognize Cycliste averti as a lever to fulfill their mission: the Ministry of the Environment (MELCCFP), for encouraging future generations to adopt sustainable and carbon-free modes of transportation; the Ministry of Education, for keeping our young people active; and the SAAQ, for reducing the number of road crash victims. The national funding they provide trickles down to all corners of Quebec, complemented by local funding from municipalities and MRCs to amplify the program’s reach.

After 10 years, the sustainability of Cycliste averti is unfortunately still not guaranteed, and its growth is regularly hampered by uncertainty. While the program has proven its worth, it now deserves sufficient, recurring, and predictable interministerial funding, similar to that provided by the French government for the Savoir rouler à vélo program, as part of the first ambition of its cycling and walking plan. It is time to give the Cycliste averti program the means to achieve its ultimate goal: to provide an entire generation with the tools to choose active and sustainable mobility.

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

– Jean-François Rheault, CEO