Winter bike enthusiasts gear up for Congress

Frigid temperatures in Calgary this week may have most Calgarians shivering in their boots, but the arctic blast couldn’t have come at a more fitting time for the 2019 Winter Cycling Congress.

Calgary is hosting this year’s conference where nearly 500 transportation, city planning and cycling buffs from around the world will discuss year-round bicycle infrastructure and initiatives.

Delegates from cold-weather European countries will have a meeting of the minds with members of Calgary’s cycling community and city officials during the three-day event that kicked off Wednesday at the new Central Library.

“Northern cities have a lot to learn from one another and we look forward to applying what we learn about winter city planning from colleagues visiting from Sweden, Finland, Russia, the United States and other parts of Canada,” Katherine Glowacz, active transportation planner with the city, said in a statement.

Tom Thivener, projects co-ordinator with the city’s transportation department, said winter biking in Calgary is becoming increasingly popular despite some pushback from those who don’t see the value in biking infrastructure.

“I can understand why people might be skeptical because the bike culture is still new, but I’m sure there were people who were skeptical about light rail in the early ’80s,” he said.

“That’s maybe not your thing, but it’s helping to take the load off the transportation system.”

Bike Calgary, Calgary Economic Development, the Town of Banff, the Town of Canmore and the University of Calgary all partnered to champion Alberta as the host of this year’s conference.

Calgary was chosen to host the seventh annual cycling event by the Winter Cycling Federation due to the city’s “dedication and commitment in embracing yearround cycling” and “noteworthy” infrastructure, such as the cycle track and pathway system.

“Calgary is a great place to give winter cycling a try,” Glowacz said.

The conference ends Friday, which is also the city’s annual Winter Bike to Work Day.

Events for Winter Bike to Work Day start at 3 p.m. at the new Central Library with a group bike ride through downtown, ending with a party on the south side of the Peace Bridge.