No matter how, active transportation

Chantal likes to do her shopping on foot, drop Coco off at daycare, go to work and get a coffee, all that, pedibus cum jambis . But by moving far from the city, as many do today, the distances quickly proved inaccessible for the thin rubber soles of her running shoes . Three kilometers on foot is tiring! In addition, having two cars was out of the question, environmental awareness requires. The bike has therefore become the new alternative for this newly cycling family, who keep a car just in case, for the floods and the unexpected. So, my son does not yet know the battles for leftover lunches on the school bus! He goes to school or the library by bike, and accompanies his parents to the grocery store on his two wheels. As soon as the weather is nice, the active little family hits the bike paths.

With his four children, Samuel also crisscrosses the paths by bike. His trolée is on two wheels, whether it snows or is wet . As for Karine and Francis, they transport children and luggage wherever they go: by road bike, mountain bike, fat bike , with a trailer or a child seat, by bike bus with friends from the neighborhood or even on their incredible tandem bikes, child in front, parent behind.

Electrically assisted cargo bike: from two or three-wheeled to long-tail

For others, the option is electric. “It’s all about identifying your needs,” Kristell explains. “We have several ambassador families, and they’ve all chosen different options that suit each of them. There are different models.”

In Quebec City, Sophie and Jean-Caroll traveled by public transit, Communauto, bike or on foot, depending on the route. But the arrival of children meant a need for green spaces, and the eco-friendly couple decided to move to the region. For them too, the kilometers suddenly seemed like a pitfall. The solution? An electric bike with a baby seat, and the girls on their bikes! Same option for Michèle and her daughter.

Roxane and David bought an electric long-tail cargo bike: the two little ones sit on the back and mom can climb hills in peace. Catherine does the same with her two older ones: "Plus, it lets me carry our daughters, their backpacks, our groceries, our skates and even our cross-country skis!" The same choice was made by Villa Pierrot, an organization for single mothers that has acquired two electric long-tail cargo bikes to safely transport two to three children on the long rack, and everything they need in the two large waterproof panniers and the basket in front.

As for Kristell and Sara, they opted for the more stable three-wheeled model. Their happy kids sit in an open box at the front. Up to four children sit on two benches facing each other, just for chatting, and one more in the back, that makes six people without a car. Their three-wheeler comes from Denmark and is assembled and electrified in Montreal by Dumoulin Bicyclettes . He's also the one who does the repairs.

The two mothers who instigated the Cargorou project look like ice cream sellers! Strawberry or chocolate? "By the way, you don't need to be an athlete to push all these little people," says Karine, who is wearing a Lausanne Marathon sweater. She laughs. "It's not related, I didn't even do it! I pedal when I feel like it, I use the battery when I'm tired or when it's tough . My average is 20 km/h. I remove the battery when I arrive and I recharge it in the power outlet. The range is about 60 kilometers. It has become my daily means of transport, there are no limits, summer and winter, with my studded tires, the wool blanket and the ski goggles"!

Kristell, a woman involved

Kristell has bicycle-shaped earrings. Her skin is tanned from hours of walking, her eyes sparkle and her smile is easy. “But it’s not about doing sports, although that comes with it, the fresh air and fitness! It’s our way of getting around. Active transportation is a way of life, seeing things and living differently.”

Kristell returned from Switzerland with her head full of ideas. "In 2018, cargo bikes were already self-service there with an app." The woman who accompanied her boyfriend to his postdoc in Lausanne is not a dreamy idealist. First a humanitarian worker in Africa, she studied civil engineering, then she had three children, and she did her baccalaureate to become a midwife when they were one, three and five years old. A go-getter, she is above all a woman of heart, with firmly anchored values. Staying at home with her family is entirely possible. Just like eating organic or not having a big garage and two cars. Or putting as many people on the road on bikes as possible.

Moving people and cities forward

Kristell has a project that is bigger than her. "I want it to belong to the people, it's up to them to make it their own." So she pushes. Her children, those of others, citizens and municipal officials. Thanks to her involvement, Magog has adopted an active transportation plan and is committed to adapting its infrastructure. "I got involved in municipal campaigns for land use planning and promoting active transportation. But we need to educate cyclists themselves on good practices. Motorists of course, especially with blind spots. Young people too, so that they see all the positive things it brings, the joy of arriving at school by bike, fresh and ready."

First, we have to start with the exercise of calculating the cost of cars, which includes the price of gas, insurance, plates, versus the necessary usage. Does every person really need to have their own car?

The two young women applied for a grant from the Ministry of Transportation's Road Safety Fund. They want to set up educational kits for the population. Sara also had the idea of offering businesses the opportunity to put their sponsorship sticker on bike boxes to advertise: your logo everywhere! The project is only just beginning, but it's already gaining momentum, and the cargo bike craze is likely to quickly spread to the province. Let's hope so!