I think that if the energy is there to get this going now there’s no need to wait. While I think that BNS involvement could be helpful, I also think that forming an advocacy group specifically focused on procuring and maintaining trail-worthy acreage is something we should really be looking into.
Another possible avenue for trail access might be through the Nova Scotia Woodlot Owners Association. It occured to me that we might be able to co-ordinate our efforts with private owners by training stewards - frequent users in specific areas who could oversee trail building and maintenance on private lots while offering lot owners the service of reporting misuse and hazards occurring on their lands. A trained trail steward could report poachers, unauthorized motor vehicles, unauthorized cutting, fire-prone areas such as those with serious windfall, dumping, and other misuses of a woodlot in areas where the owner might not frequent. This might be a way to gain favour in the eyes of those who own large portions of woodland in Nova Scotia, some which might prove to be prime trail territory. According to a local real estate site, most of Nova Scotia’s forested land is privately owned, so I believe it’s in our best interest to find a way in which outdoor recreationists can work hand in hand with those owners to develop a positive relationship.
I’ve always been of the mind that our cycling community is too divided. Having too many groups who all want to do the same thing only divides our resources and has people covering the same ground. Might as well work with the government funded association that has all of it’s infrastructure in place, no? As I’ve mentioned, we’re addressing the viability of a trail advocate’s position this Sunday and should the MTB committee like the idea it will be formally proposed at the AGM. Also keep in mind that BNS sanctioned Club Presidents have a seat on the MTB Committee.
Edit: My energey isn’t available until the New Year! http://resource.pedaltrout.com/old_site_images/c676407db519bdf42481870746f097d8.gif And further, I’m only really interested in working with BNS on projects like this since the candle is already lit on both ends with BNS and Cogeyed… that candle has an extra appendage for my adventure racing endeavors already! So join us or die! Er… I mean, BNS is your’s to use to the capacity you see fit and we have all the resources that you’d need already setup so you wouldn’t need to establish them on your own… and no one has to die.
Division is a bad thing if it prevents things from getting done, but I personally feel that a group dedicated to one specific cause can get much more done if it doesn’t have to fall under the auspices of another group with much broader goals.
I realize that BNS isn’t all racing, and like Sherry I have certainly put my time in as a BNS volunteer, which is one very strong reason that I feel there is plenty of room for groups to function outside the BNS umbrella. To be completely honest, I look at the BNS website and see very little that would convince non-racers of its value. In the main Navigation bar the very first button is ‘Racing’ and ‘Athlete Development’ isn’t far behind. Where is the ‘Rider Development’ button and why is the last update under ‘Trail Advocacy’ dated 2007? When I look at the Quadrennial Plan, 13 pages are dedicated to racing and athlete development while 3 pages are dedicated to Cycling Transportation, Advocacy and Recreation combined. Maybe things are changing and maybe the next group of electees will be effective in addressing the other needs of cyclists in Nova Scotia, but then again, maybe not.
I think racing and athlete development are very important, but they’re also very well represented in this province. What seems to be completely overlooked is RIDER development. Independent groups have picked up this cause, and although some of them may be affiliated as clubs with BNS, I don’t know that they recognize any support beyond the insurance coverage that comes with membership.
Don’t get me wrong. BNS does very good things. I just think that time and time again separate groups have been able to accomplish a lot through the specific interests of the individuals who run them. I used to race. Now I want to get people stoked to ride bikes and create places for them to do it. There’s nothing that says BNS can’t get involved at a later date if it’s not ready to jump on board now, but I certainly don’t think it should be trying to slow the process when people have the drive and desire to make it happen.
Ummm. I don’t think Sue or anyone else has been saying anything about not working with BNS. I think we are just not interested in working around one person’s schedule.
Having said that, I agree with Sue. Let’s get things started while people have the interest. Most definitely we should schedule a meeting around the BNS meetings since it is pertinent and useful to have BNS reps there. For example, Bob White has a lot of knowledge about and experience with trail stewardship and I see that O9 Man has a lot of info and experience with DNR (hopefully he can fit a meeting into his schedule). Most certainly an invite to the proposed BNS MTB committee trail advocate would be there once that position is established. In fact, if we have a meeting on December 12 or 13 (as previously suggested), BNS may have that position decided upon and filled since the AGM is the week before.
A little close to xmas but jeez I personally don’t understand why imporatnt things get put on hold every year because of xmas. Another topic for discussion. Anywho…do either the 12th or 13th of December work for folks? I can get in touch with Garnet to see if they work for him.
The BNS website is a reflection of the work currently being done, and with the existing team of volunteers (or lack thereof) we can barely facilitate racing. If someone wants to make a motion in rider development we’d be most happy to dedicate resources to that. I think that would be perfect work for the male / female athlete reps… or even club presidents if they wanted to dedicate their club to rider development.
Forgive me if it seems like I’m recruiting, that’s not my intention. I just feel that BNS has much more to offer than people realize, and further BNS is an under-utilized organization. If I wanted to do something in the cycling community, it just makes sense to me to use BNS… especially now that I know there are so many positions open and so much help needed, that virtually any agenda would be yours for the taking i.e. whatever one is planning on doing it’s most likely possible with BNS in the same capacity. (Some exceptions of course exist.)
I doubt that the trail advocate position will be filled until the new year, but hopefully it will be early and I’ll be sure to get them in touch with you guys (provided that I am elected into the position I hope I will.)
I was just talking with Garnet McLaughlin and he is very willing to meet on December 5. I can find somewhere to meet in Truro. What time would work best?
i would have to say that i am interested in sitting in on this. after having to watch what happened at spider lake now more than ever i think that it is vitially important that we try and get some land set aside for out use. having said that i strongly feel that it is very important that and land we try to obtain has two things working for it. first it most be located in as central of a location as possible not only to get the riders out and using it but so that in the building phase the builders can get in and get at it on a regular bases as well the continued up keep. the second point would be that the land it’self be capable of the construction of trails that would allow us to use it introduce new and novice riders to the sport. if you look at spider, the intermediate trail at sugar moon or the trails in debert not only are they fun but the true key is they are user friendly to all levels of riders. as far as having bns at the meeting or invloved at this stage i don’t feel that it is completely necessary. there will be ample time to sort all this out but at some point we need to get the ball rolling.
Sorry to take some time in setting this up but I have a place and time now. I’ve booked the Sobey’s Community Room in Truro (the Sobey’s that is located on Robie Street - the street just off of Exit 14 into Truro). The date is Saturday Dec. 5 and time is 11 am to 1 pm. Garnett Mclaughlin from Cobequid Eco-Trails Society will be attending and I will help him facilitate this ‘Public Forum on Mountain Bike Trails in NS’. Some of the topics will include the following:
Building and maintaining sustainable mountain bike trails
Securing land for trail building
Connecting with land owners and other trail users
Trail building funding opportunities
Please make any other topic suggestions you have. This meeting is for anyone and everyone with an interest in mountain bike trails. It would be great if we could get representatives from all regions of the province. Many of our mountain bike folks in this province already have a lot of experience and knowledge when it comes to mountain bike trails so please pass this event along to all that you think would be interested. The main objective for this forum is to bring everyone together so that we can all share our information and ideas.
I’ll make a poster for sure, thanks for all your work setting this up, Sherry! I hope lots of people will be willing to come participate and throw some ideas around.
Please let us know if you plan on attending the Forum - rumour has it that Sherry may be arranging for some munchies so we’ll need and idea of numbers.
The only way for BNS to get away from the racing only focus is for non-racers who are not intersted in racing to get involved in BNS and do the non-racing things that interests them as non-racers. Its really that simple. There isn’t an IQ Test to join and no hidden fees, either. You don’t even need a ‘race’ license, you can get the General Member license at more than 1/2 the cost.
I’ve heard for years, YEARS! how BNS is focussed on racing, but I never see anyone do anything about it. Oh wait, theres the Touring and Transportation guy, the advocacy guy, the education position, o snap.
We hope the BNS Trails and Touring candidate will come and represent at this meeting. I have a question, though… why are Trails and Touring lumped into one position? This seems like 2 very different interests in most cases.
Sorry, its ‘Touring and Transportation’ and ‘Trails’. Two
distinct positions. Y’know, in reality, the way BNS is organized,
the potential for ‘Racing’ to be the least significant aspect of
Bicycle Nova Scotia has always been there. Alas, usually only
racers get involved and take advantage of any resources
available. But we never get tired about hearing about this. Oh
wait, we do.
Mixed… It is refreashing that BNS is striving to do more, however I believe that long term damage has been done by years of promoting itself as the governing body for racing in Nova Scotia.
I applaud and encourage anyone who wants to take action to make it more than it is. Perhaps you can post your ad on here. Perhaps some of our viewers may be interested in making a difference. Cycling in Nova Scotia needs every voice that it can get if we want to evovle and move forward in this ever changing demographic.
Alas, for me I only have one iron to throw in the fire at this time so my efforts will remain close to home, but you can be sure that I will use the BNS machine as a resouce tool when ever I need it.
Stay tuned for my membership fees.
Meh, I’m done with it all as of December 6th. I don’t know how
many times I’ve told people over the years that BNS can do more,
all they have to do is tell it WHAT to do. Usually get blank
stares all around each time after that. We should
do…do…do…someTHING! uh, yeah.
I have no doubt that BNS has the capacity to do more but I personally don’t don’t think putting all our eggs in one basket is the most effective way to get things done. I am of the opinion that groups with a focus on one or two issues can be much more effective than a larger group which attempts to take on everything. When an Association’s meeting agendas have 20 different items on them, each one of those items will get less consideration than it deserves. BNS has been very successful at athlete development and competition, and I suspect that’s partly because it hasn’t really had to focus on anything else.
I don’t know why this discussion has to be so adversarial. I think BNS does a great job at what it does, and hey, if it starts to have success in other areas too, that’s awesome. I also think that it’s important for all groups with a common interest to work together, even if they don’t always see eye to eye. That doesn’t mean those groups have to be under the same leadership, though - I don’t think that’s in anyone’s best interest.
People who volunteer for BNS are doing excellent jobs and they deserve a solid pat on the back. Nobody is challenging the good that BNS does for the sport in this province. Unfortunately, however, there seems to be an attitude that if you’re not working through BNS you’re wasting everyone’s time and doing nothing for the sport at all. I would like to think that I’m wrong and that we all appreciate whatever we bring to the promotion of cycling in this province regardless of which channels we use to do it.
The reason there are 20+ items on the agenda (I don’t know what
meetings those were, once I figured out pretty early on how much
could be done in a 2 hour meeting, agenda items were limited to 5
or 6 things at the max, probably learned that after that first
meeting) is because one committee was responsonsible for
everything related to mountain biking. If people on the committee
who had intertests other than racing dealt with 5-6 non-racing
items in a sub-committee format of their interest it would have
meant that smaller details of whatever interest they had would be
dealt with in a smaller finer detailed capacity, much like
exactly you are doing right now. Like I said many times, there
was nothing stopping anyone from doing anything that they were
interested in, but no one did, and now we hear ‘bns has always
been race oriented.’ well no fucking duh. Don’t blame BNS for not
doing shit that you didn’t have the time to do at the time. Now
you have the time and interest, power to you.
‘BNS has been very successful at athlete development and
competition, and I suspect that’s partly because it hasn’t really
had to focus on anything else.’
Read my text: NOBODY wanted to do anything else. Nobody still
does. So, fringe groups are created because ‘BNS doesn’t want to
do ANYTHING’. Fait a’compli or whatever.
I’m sure this is all pointless though, good luck with your
endeavours.
I don’t think that you are wasting your time if you are not
working within BNS. If anything, it will be easier for you.
