April 23, 2024 will undoubtedly go down as an important date in our province’s cycling history. On this occasion, the National Assembly, under the joint impetus of MNA Étienne Grandmont and Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility Geneviève Guilbault, unanimously adopted a motion declaring May as Bike Month in Quebec. This recognition, much more than a symbol, is the culmination of more than a decade of transpartisan efforts to promote the central role of bicycles in our lives.
Whether for transportation, entertainment or travel, more than half of all Quebecers get on their bikes every year. This simple, almost harmless gesture has an extraordinary impact on our society: it stimulates our economy and tourism, generating $1.2 billion annually, and saves our healthcare system more than $2 billion every year. Because of its simplicity, cycling is one of the most effective ways of achieving our sustainable mobility objectives. In supporting this motion, the Quebec government has made no mistake: cycling is an integral part of the solution to the challenges we face, and we must now go further and faster to find solutions that are equal to today’s challenges. Cycling also represents a tremendous freedom, a tool for inclusion, equity and emancipation accessible to a wide public, even if much remains to be done to make it a mobility option throughout Quebec.
With the arrival of May and the start of a promising cycling season, we celebrate this unanimous recognition by the National Assembly. But this victory does not mean we have achieved our goal. On the contrary, it opens a new chapter. Now that the importance of cycling in our daily lives has been recognized, it’s crucial that Quebec equips itself with the necessary means to maximize its potential in the face of the challenges of our times. Cycling deserves sustained, coordinated government attention, similar to the national cycling plan launched in France in 2018 and renewed in 2023.
Until then, thanks to you, to civil society organizations, and to the municipalities that worked to make May the month to launch the cycling season, its practice continues to grow. So let’s celebrate the return of warm weather by getting on our bikes, whether for our daily commute, for pleasure or to explore our magnificent regions of Quebec. Let’s encourage our families, friends and colleagues to do the same and enjoy this incredible freedom.
Happy Bike Month to all!
Jean-François Rheault