Caleb Nickerson
BRISTOL Nov. 8, 2017
On Nov. 8, members of Les Ami(e)s du Cycloparc PPJ met at the home of Leo Heise in Bristol for the their first annual general meeting.
The group is a non-profit that was formed as a way to promote local trails and increase cycling in the region. Over the past year their primary focus has been the Cycloparc PPJ jamboree, a series of workshops and group rides to get people out on their bikes.
Coordinator Tiziana Fortin-Rompelberg gave a report on the group’s yearly finances. The total income for the year was $4,721, achieved through funding from local organizations, municipalities and the MRC, as well as individual donations. The largest expense was on mileage and gas expenses for a support vehicle, followed by advertising and prizes for the events. In the end, the group finished with a surplus of just over $17.
“This is a huge investment of time and energy,” she said, adding that she would be looking for other volunteers to step up in the coming year. “I can’t do it all by myself.”
Rompelberg debriefed the group on each of the organization’s activities this year.
They started in April with a workshop on how to fix your bike at Dr. S.E. McDowell School in Shawville that also featured a fundraising breakfast. The tours started in late May and continued once a month until October.
Rompelberg said they averaged about 10 participants per event, who were enthusiastic despite the wet weather that plagued this past summer.
For 2018, she said she would like to focus her energy on three tours instead of six, as well as continuing the popular bike repair workshops in schools. They will be keeping the tour of Allumettes Island, as well as the popular full-moon tour, while planning to add a multi-day ride across the full length of the PPJ, from Wyman to Waltham.
Rompelberg concluded by saying they would continue to apply for funding from various organizations and look to increase membership in the coming year.
