Our community of Mississippi…

Our community of Mississippi Mills has a rich cycling culture and history; Mississippi Mills Bicycle Month, Almonte Bicycle Club, annual competitive cycling events, and the birthplace of the Eastern Ontario Active Transportation Summit (now in its 4th year). It is better for the route to come through Mississippi Mills and Carleton Place than to bypass our communities via West Carleton into Ottawa. Being on a provincial cycling spine route will offer us greater funding opportunities and it will help develop the OVRT as an active transportation trail - free of motorized vehicles.

Some other supporting info: · North East Lanark has the amenities cycle tourists require; restaurants, accommodations, a bicycle shop, grocery shopping, as well as vibrant downtown centres, historic sites and museums. Both Carleton Place and Almonte have hospitals and health clinics.

· Many local businesses have registered with Ontario by Bike as Bicycle-friendly businesses.

· Mississippi Mills has an Active Transportation Plan that supports this route as part of a broader network. New bicycle lanes are being developed annually.

· Mississippi Mills was awarded Bicycle-Friendly Community status by Share the Road Cycling Coalition in 2016.

· Mississippi Mills Bicycle Month has been encouraging local citizens to cycle for over 9 years as well as welcoming cyclists from afar.

· Mississippi Mills has a School Travel Planning Committee

· Mississippi Mills has a bike share program

· Carleton Place is set to host the 4th Annual Eastern Ontario Active Transportation Summit in 2017 and is developing an Active Transportation Plan

Please consider using the old rail line through Carleton's palace to Pakenham and beyond as part of your plan to have a cycling route through Ontario.

[Original Comment ID: 209306]