Over the last two years, Canada has seen a cycling boom across the country, from racing to commuting to people hopping on their bikes for the first time. While it’s been inspiring to see so many people excited about riding their bikes, Cycling Canada recognizes that there can be significant barriers to entry into the sport and strives to make the sport accessible, safe and enjoyable for all, regardless of race, gender, orientation or background.
With the goal of creating a safe and inclusive space, Cycling Canada has developed its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) Committee to ensure voices from different backgrounds are heard, met and taken into consideration. At the helm of the DE&I committee is Cycling Canada’s Director of Diversity and Inclusion, Vanessa Desjardins, who expressed the importance of having a group of people of diverse backgrounds come together to ensure better representation and inclusion.
“The Committee is an integral part of having a foundation for a safe and inclusive cycling community,” said Desjardins. “Making the call for committee members and facilitating conversations about what diversity, equity and inclusion means is so important to help us move in the right direction within the sport. We want to create a community that people want to be a part of and create a space where they feel seen and heard. We may not see quick results in the short term, but we believe the conversations and long-term planning will have a huge impact on generations to come. Having this committee is a huge part of our 10-year strategic plan and I’m excited for what’s to come and to see how our community grows and evolves.”
The Committee has broken down the organization’s goals for each pillar outlined in Cycling Canada’s strategic plan and how diversity, equity and inclusion fit into each of these.
Community
Our Community is at the forefront because we know that the sport revolves around people. Individuals from all walks of life have been able to experience and enjoy cycling in their own communities while perhaps meeting and riding with others. Under the umbrella of Community, some of the goals laid out by the Committee include diversifying community partnerships and increased participation; policies and procedures to ensure inclusivity; creating a safe environment within cycling and diversifying/developing opportunities for athletes and coaches.
In order to get to and maintain these goals, the Committee has set out concrete actions including—but not limited to—mentoring programs for BIPOC coaches; leading collaboration between community para-cycling programs to learn best practices; athlete development and education; increasing safe sport compliance across provinces and territories and including gender diverse options for general membership in Canada.
Events
Under this pillar, three main goals have been laid out: accessibility at all Cycling Canada event; taking action on truth and reconciliation and acknowledging the land that we work and cycle on; and promoting cycling to equity deserving groups at large events.
To implement these goals, the Committee has suggested that Cycling Canada invite and support school and community groups at elite cycling events, ensure land acknowledgement processes and guidelines and create accessibility standards at events. These goals and actions will ensure that there is equal accessibility and recognition to communities making them feel seen, welcome and heard.
Grassroots
Building a community starts at the grassroots level by introducing children to the joys of cycling. Some of the goals laid out include delivering programs and services to equity deserving groups; having sustainable partnerships and resources to support programs; having cycling programs available to schools and communities in Canada; and identifying and eliminating barriers to participation.
We’ve already seen some of these actions put in place, including the launch of our HopOn national grassroots program in 2021, as well as Cycling Canada’s partnership with the My First Bicycle Foundation – which helps financially disadvantaged kids obtain their first bicycle, helmet and lock – and B.I.CYCLE, who provides greater opportunity for historically disadvantaged Black and Indigenous individuals and communities to benefit from the physical and psychological benefits of cycling.
Other action items include developing relationships with community groups and organizations and identifying instructors to deliver programming; offering equipment support for cyclists of all abilities; delivering financial resources to allow programming with little to no cost to participants; and developing a sustainable program through partner and sponsor donations.
Gracious Champions
We look up to those who represent Canada on the world stage, but we must ensure that we give athletes (active and retired) resources and support within our systems and programs at every level and stage of their athlete life cycle. Therefore, the Committee has set out to create supports and systems for athletes at every level of the athletes’ life cycle, including retirement support. To address financial barriers that athletes’ encounter, the Committee has set a goal to develop resources on financial supports to guide and aid athletes.
Operations
Implementing equity, inclusivity and diversity initiatives starts from the bottom-up, which means Cycling Canada is determined to establish an organizational and operational culture that subscribes to what we set out. With goals like having a diverse staff, more exhaustive HR policies and procedures and attaining gender equity on both the Board of Directors and Leadership team, the organization hopes to become a leader in the space and to have a positive impact on the sport.
In order to achieve these goals, the Committee has proposed the following: additional education and training for staff working with athletes who have a disability; respecting and celebrating religious holidays; ensuring equity within the hiring and nomination process for the staff & Board; accommodation guidelines for same sex couples and transgender athletes and giving parental leave support.
Although these goals and action items are just a starting point, they will be pivotal to making the sport of cycling safer, more inclusive and more diverse in the short, medium and long term.
Interested in finding out more about the Committee? Read the action plan here.
