Ottawa, ON (February 11, 2021) – Cycling Canada is excited to officially publish its new 10-year strategic plan to 2030. Formally approved by Cycling Canada’s board in late 2020, the plan outlines a bold and transformative pathway for the organization and the sport in Canada over the next decade.
The strategy is the product of a multi-year process which included consultation and input from key stakeholder groups representing all disciplines and branches of the Canadian cycling community. More than 500 individuals from across the country were invited to participate during the process, which was led by a committee that included representatives from Cycling Canada’s board, staff and provincial partners.
The document sets out a high-level framework which will guide the organization’s direction over the coming decade, including core areas of strategic focus, long-term objectives, and key factors for successful execution.
“We’re thrilled to share this plan and even more excited about moving forward in our efforts to bring it to life,” said Pierre Laflamme, Chair of Cycling Canada’s Board of Directors. “We believe cycling in Canada has enormous potential and we have a unique opportunity to transform a sport and make an important contribution to the health and wellbeing of our country.”
At the heart of the strategy lies a renewed and concerted focus on Community. The top priority for the association over the next decade will be the collective development and delivery of more cohesive programs, campaigns, and resources to encourage participant growth and member engagement across the country.
“Our cycling community is the foundation of our organization and of our sport,” said Cycling Canada Chief Executive Officer Matthew Jeffries. “We all want to see the sport grow, and the starting point for that is a thriving, engaged and connected Canadian cycling community. There is a tremendous collective opportunity to do more to increase our relevance and deliver value for our membership in this regard.”
Supporting and complimenting this community-driven approach will be investments in 3 additional areas of strategic focus – grassroots, events and gracious champions.
A nationally aligned Grassroots cycling program for kids has been in development for over a year now and is already being delivered in certain regions, most notably in British Columbia where it has existed under the iRide brand since 2013. The national program will be branded as “HopOn” and will play a leading role in getting more Canadians on bikes in a safe and inclusive way, ultimately driving the flow of new participants and members into cycling club programs across the country.
The facilitation and delivery of a cohesive and integrated calendar of cycling Events across the country will continue to be a major area of focus for the organization. Exciting and engaging events serve as important platforms for stimulating awareness for the sport, driving participant growth, and engaging the community while also supporting development pathways for Canadian athletes, coaches and officials.
Finally, the organization will continue to allocate significant resources and focus toward development and high performance programming for athletes and coaches with the objective of creating more “Gracious Champions” – athletes who can succeed prolifically on the world’s biggest stages while being virtuous and inspiring ambassadors back to the community at home. An innovative performance framework consisting of 8 key components is included in the plan with the objective of continuing to increase continuity and collaboration across the system and driving better balance and sustainability for athlete development programs across all cycling disciplines.
Critical to success in executing the plan will be national cohesion and focus, particularly as it relates to several new strategic initiatives designed specifically to improve integration, member experience and community engagement. The need for a more holistic and unified approach to building the sport was one of the key themes that emerged throughout all phases of the project.
“It’s an exciting and ambitious plan and it will require great teamwork to make it a reality,” noted Jeffries. “Particularly in the world of sport where our resources are limited, it’s critical that we commit to working closely together towards our common goals. Achieving success that is both holistic and sustainable is the ultimate objective and I’m confident that we have a great plan as well as the right people and partners to get us there.”
“We’d like to thank all of our provincial partners, athletes, coaches, staff, officials, volunteers and other stakeholders who contributed to the development of this plan,” said Laflamme. “And a special thank you to our Strategic Planning team led by Kevin Field for all their hard work, vision and leadership in bringing this initiative to fruition.”
Source: Cycling Canada
Information: Karine Bedard | Cycling Canada | karine.bedard@cyclingcanada.ca
About Cycling Canada
Cycling Canada is the governing body for competitive cycling in Canada. With the vision of becoming a leading competitive cycling nation, Cycling Canada manages the High Performance team, hosts national and international events and administers programs to promote and grow cycling across the country.