Bikers hit the road with Cover the Kids ride
The first large-scale awareness ride of the season will hit the streets May 4
Across Niagara, motorcycles are being dusted off, tuned up and their chrome polished in anticipation of a new riding season.
Many bikes are already out on the road but in Niagara, the first largescale awareness ride of the season will hit the streets Saturday, May 4, said Ron Baron, Bikers Rights Organization (BRO) Ontario vicechair and a member of BRO Port Colborne.
BRO is first and foremost a political organization, not a motorcycle club, said Baron.
BRO Ontario was founded in 1979 and, according to its website, there are BRO organizations across Canada and the United States.
The non-profit group exists to advocate for the rights of individuals who ride motorcycles— and the priority is safety, Baron added.
“Bikers, when they take the motorcycle safety course to get their licence, are taught how to avoid being hit by a car, but no one is teaching drivers what to do differently to identify a motorcycle, a bicycle or a pedestrian.
“After an accident, the first thing you hear is, ‘Officer I didn’t see the motorcycle.’ ”
BRO members are working to promote Bill 15, the Fairness for Road Users Act, which, if passed, would amend the Highway Traffic Act.
Bill 15 says: “If a person causes or contributes to causing an accident which causes death or serious bodily harm, and at the time the person was contravening the Highway Traffic Act or its regulations, then the person is guilty of an offence. The court may sentence the person to a fine of up to $50,000 or to imprisonment for up to two years or both. The court may also suspend the person’s driver’s licence or permit.”
According to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario website, Bill 15 passed its second reading November 2022.
Presently the fine is $500, said Baron.
“If they plea down to fail to yield or an illegal lane change, the fine could be even less. Maybe if the fine was $50,000, they would find the time to look twice.”
The other side of BRO is its charitable work. Members have raised thousands of dollars for local charitable organizations.
Cover the Kids, on May 4, is the largest awareness ride in southern Ontario, said Baron. Attracting between 120 and 150 bikers, the ride serves as a fundraiser but, as the long column of bikes winds its way through Niagara, it also lets the community know motorcycles are back on the road.
This year marks the 41st annual event with proceeds going to COPE (Community Outreach Program Erie), a non-profit agency founded in 1983 in that assists residents dealing with food insecurity.
For the bikers and the food bank, the spring ride represents a longstanding relationship.
“Forty years ago, nobody wanted money raised by bikers,” said Baron. “The perception was it was dirty money, proceeds of crime.”
COPE, however, was happy to accept the donation.
“There are some people who still have that image in their minds, the criminal biker gang that scares mothers and children — that is not who we are,” said Baron. “We are business owners, doctors, teachers, your neighbours and friends.
“Once you meet us, get to know us, you will find bikers have the biggest hearts of anyone you know.”
BRO Niagara welcomes new members — and you don’t have to ride a motorcycle.
“We are actively looking for new members,” said Jeff Bouchard, public relations and road captain for BRO Niagara. “It takes manpower to put on these events. You need not ever own a motorcycle. You just need a charitable spirit and a willingness to pitch in. You don’t even have to be politically minded.”
The entry fee for the Cover the Kids ride is a grocery gift card or cash donation. Registration is at the Husky Travel Centre gas station, 615 York Rd., Niagara-on-the-Lake, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. May 4. The ride leaves at 1 p.m. sharp.
Other important dates to note for BRO Niagara fundraisers this year include the July 20 Summer Bash and the Sept. 21 Biketoberfest.