Igor Hoogendoorn's blog

What a great night with my ol’ crew in Guelph! It never ceases to amaze me that mountain bikers are such a festive bunch, especially when they’re amongst good friends and fellow riders.

Vice President of GORBA, Tim Crosby, going through the agenda.

What were they celebrating at GORBA’s Annual General Meeting?  Only 20 years of mountain bike advocacy and a long list of successes!

3...2...1...the doors open and IMBA Canada Staff are ready to go!

It’s the annual hussle and bussle of this event that spells springtime for me, one because we get the opportunity to see a great number of likeminded people, the other, because we are passionate about riding bikes and like to see if we can score a few last minute deals before the upcoming season.

Want to learn how to build sustainable trails? IMBA Canada's Daniel Scott (Trail Solutions) will show you how:

Ontario Trails Council - Trail Education - New In-Class Offering

Trailbuilding - March 13-14, 2013

Albion Hills Conservation Authority

If xc skiing isn't your thing, then you're in luck.

Since 2005, the Durham Mountain Biking Association (DMBA) has, without a doubt, been one of the primary advocates for the mountain biking community in southern Ontario.  The DMBA have focused their mountain biking advocacy efforts in and amongst the Durham Region, not only to retain access to trails, but also to develop new sustainable riding opportunities.  Their success can be attributed to strong leadership, a dedicated volunteer group of 450 members and a positive relationship with their land manager.

The chance to travel and have one’s eyes opened to new ideas and information - no better way to bring in the New Year!

Why all the excitement?  Well, I had the great fortune to travel down to IMBA HQ in Boulder, Colorado at the beginning of January.  A weeks worth of meetings, knowledge sharing, team building and enjoying mountain air, were all part of IMBA’s Staff Training event.

For the Short Hills Cycling Club (SHCC), hard work rewards not only those involved, but the focus of their passion as well.  The club has been busy providing stewardship efforts to the Short Hills Provincial Park trail network for the past few years, including trail construction, redesign and restoration.  To aid in their efforts, the club went through the grant writing process and are now the proud recipients of a prestigious Ontario Trillium Foundation Grant of $14000, which will be allocated to new tools, trail maintenance equipment and a trailer.

Mountain biking was once again an important topic for consideration, and as a viable recreational activity in Copeland Forest, the latest meeting with the Couchiching Conservancy looked to find what the recreational community would prioritize for Copeland's future.

A huge congratulations to the Turkey Point Mountain Bike Club (TPMBC) for acquiring a $30000 Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) Grant, a monumental achievement after officially forming the club only one year ago.

The TPMBC have a 43 km network of trails in Turkey Point Provincial Park and a Ministry of Natural Resources property (managed by St. Williams Conservation Reserve Community Council) that they oversee under a MOU (memorandum of understanding).

IMBA Canada's Executive Director, Lora Woolner and Ontario Coordinator, Igor Hoogendoorn were happy to meet and greet the consumers and industry trade partners that made up this years BTAC Expocycle 2012.

IMBA booth Day #1