As a local cyclist, business…

As a local cyclist, business person, mother of two and municipal Councillor, I believe that the primary route of the Province-wide Cycling Network should align with the Voyageur Cycling Route primary route, where it runs between Arnprior and Ottawa.

This would mean the primary route of the Province-wide Cycling Network would run from Arnprior, through Mississippi Mills and Carleton Place and connect to Ottawa via the Trans-Canada Trail, where the trail leaves Carleton Place - as the Voyageur Cycling primary route will. The expansion of the Voyageur Cycling Route primary route south of Arnprior is set to cross through the communities of Mississippi Mills (Almonte, Pakenham, Blakeney & Appleton) and Carleton Place along County Road 29, or more likely along a parallel abandoned railway line which is becoming a public trail (the Ottawa Valley Recreational Trail), then from Carleton Place the route will turn east along the Trans Canada Trail through Stittsville, Kanata, and into Ottawa. This route was chosen as the Voyageur Cycling Route because of the many available amenities that support cycle tourism in Mississippi Mills, Carleton Place and Kanata/Stittsville (examples: bike shops, designated bicycle friendly businesses and restaurants, B&Bs, museums, parks and cafes, farmers' markets, inns…).

Mississippi Mills was the first municipality in Lanark County to undertake the creation of and finalize an Active Transportation Plan (Dec 2015), was the founder and first municipality to host the Eastern Ontario Active Transportation Summit (now in its 4th year and this year in Carleton Place), and has hosted Bicycle Month activities in June for the last 8 years - longer than any other community in Renfrew or Lanark Counties. Mississippi Mills has also received Bronze designation for Bicycle Friendly Communities by Share the Road. Currently, your map shows the Voyageur Cycling Route primary route as a secondary ("connecting") route on the Province-wide Cycling Network map, which doesn't make sense to me. Currently your suggested Province-wide Cycling Network primary route on the map transverses rural West Carleton, which has next to no cycling amenities or supported community attractions. The West Carleton Route joins the Trans Canada Trail via Hwy 5 (Carp Road), which is very busy and not cycle friendly without major upgrades due to very, very heavy traffic volumes. I request that the Province-wide Cycling Network primary route please align with the Voyageur Cycling Route primary route. In keeping with the provincial directive of the Ministry of Sport, Tourism and Culture of expanding cycle tourism opportunities in Ontario, aligning the primary provincial cycling route with the Voyageur Cycling Route through Lanark County makes economic and marketing sense.

In the next year (2017-18), this route will undergo in-depth evaluation, which will include Lanark County and multi-municipalities' investments in the trail / abandoned rail corridor as a cycling trail asset. Also an implementation strategy is being developed for the Voyageur Cycling Route expansion to Ottawa with the goal of celebrating a fully signed cycling route within three years. The municipalities of Carleton Place and Mississippi Mills are fully supportive of this endeavour - both municipalities have sent feedback to this same file to request the aligning of the Province-wide Cycling Network primary route and the Voyageur Cycling Route primary route.

Thank you very much for your consideration of this letter and the opportunity to provide feedback. I do hope the Ministry will re-consider along the recommendations I've made above.

Sincerely,

Jill McCubbin Councillor, Almonte Ward
Municipality of Mississippi Mills
jmccubbin@mississippimills.ca

and resident and community member jillkmc@gmail.com 613-256-8128

[Original Comment ID: 209286]