Women who cycle and walk face barriers, but opportunities exist, AGM panelists tell OVCATA

COBDEN, November 20, 2025: Women who cycle and walk for work, family transportation or recreation face barriers men may not be aware of, but there are also opportunities to improve their participation, three panelists told the Ottawa Valley Cycling and Active Transportation Alliance (OVCATA) at its annual meeting here.

In thanks for their participation, OVCATA made a $200 donation to Bernadette McCann House, Renfrew County's women's shelter.

Rather than attempting to summarize their unique messages, we simply present highlights of the discussion:

Pat Dalphy lives in Arnprior, where she organizes weekly walking groups informally. She told the meeting:

- It's good to reach out in various ways to get groups going. Regular times and days seems to help. Pat's groups go various places, usually in walking distance of home in Arnprior.

- Groups provide social interaction and support.

- Lack of toilets is a barrier for women's participation.

- Cyclists need to warn walkers with bells on trails (and everywhere).

Jen Adams  lives in Ottawa, where she developes and shares bikepacking routes and resources with her husband. Together, they organize and 800-km bikepacking journey called Log Drivers Waltz (LDW) https://www.logdriverswaltz.ca    She said

 - Their bikepacking route has developed into a social project. It brings people together for shared experiences and many forge friendships.

- Barriers include fear, anxiety, lack of experience or knowledge such as bike mechanics, vulnerability riding solo.

- Cycling in general and bikepacking in particular offer opportunities to build experience in a safe way.

- LDW provides extensive on-line resources for people to learn about bikepacking and to plan their own bikepacking adventures.

- LDW organizes introductory rallies and workshops to encourage participation, teach skills, break down barriers.

- In response to a later question, Jen said that bikepacking is predominantly done by men, but they're working to break down barriers for women and other underrepresented groups.

Jodie Primeau lives in Deep River, where she is a criminal lawyer, a single mom, and a competitive triathlete. She was in Toronto and had to take part virtually, so her participation was limited, but she made important points:

Three major barriers for women are:

- income. Getting into cycling is not cheap.

- family responsibilities

- biomechanics. Bikes are not well designed for women.

She recommended making child care available for bike tour participants as well as making a kids' area a part of cycling events. She also said sports centres should be encouraged to think about how to encourage women's participation.

 A lively discussion followed, with members making some great points, including:

- Infrastructure for pedestrians and winter maintenance of it  is a big problem in th City of Pembroke as well as in most towns and villages. This is especially important in school areas. If it doesn't feel safe, kids won't walk to school.

- OVCATA should push for better walking infrastructure.

- Recent Provincial legislation against bike lanes is a big problem for municipalities that attempt to create safe transportation for cycling.

- The City of Pembroke's new transportation plan did not include Active Transportation, which negatively affects the needs of women as walkers and mothers.

- It's open season on cyclists. They're not seen as people. Public education is needed.

- Municipalities should be encouraged to set up transparent complaints processs and to publicize them, if they do have them, so people can report sidewalks and other infrastructure in need of repair.

- Mechanical and bike skills workshops for women would be worthwhile.

- OVCATA could work with bike shops to host workshops and events.

- We could partner with daycare providers for events.

- OVCATA could work with the schools. Encourage "walking and riding schoolbuses"

- We could hold a "worst sidewalks competition" to emphasize the need to maintain pedestrian infrastructure.