This is one of their big victories of the year: thanks to fundraising campaigns and significant mobilization, cycling enthusiasts were able to ensure the continued existence of the Forest City Velodrome in London, Ontario, one of the oldest indoor velodromes in the country.
The historic establishment, which opened in 2005 in the former London Ice House, was forced to close its doors last summer when the owner refused to renew its lease.
A vicious circle arose: Without a new lease agreement, it was virtually impossible for the velodrome to receive sponsorship money, an important source of income.
We had to keep this place open.
This is truly a unique place. “It's great to come here to learn,” says the volunteer.
Community mobilization
After the closure was announced in June, around a hundred people gathered at a public meeting to find solutions and raise funds. The nonprofit also has a new board of directors.
Volunteers like Albert Devries continued to give cycling lessons, organize crowdfunding activities and recreational events, both for new enthusiasts and experienced cyclists like Team Canada's Joseph Veloce and Nick Wammes.
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Hugo Barrette, Joseph Veloce and Vincent De Haître at the 2014 Commonwealth Games Track Cycling
Photo: Getty Images / Adrian Dennis
Thanks to its reserves and a new business plan, the velodrome was able to reopen its doors at the end of October, delighting many cyclists in the London area.
Reilly Pargeter, 20, spent his childhood training at the Forest City Velodrome. He started cycling at the age of nine. Skills that led him to spend two summers in Europe training with professional cyclists.
The young athlete admits that it was very difficult to find out that the velodrome had closed its doors. It is a very special place for me.
I often enjoy spending my winters here training. It's a great place to stay in shape. The reopening really gave me relief. It's a second wind for our velodrome.
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Reilly Pargeter, 20, has been training at Forest City Velodrome in London, Ontario for over a decade.
Photo: Isha Bhargava/CBC
Rob Good, one of the co-founders of the Forest City Velodrome, is excited about the facility reopening. The old building, which once housed the London Knights, the city's junior hockey team, is full of history, he said.
At the time, it was one of the first indoor speed cycling tracks in Canada. Today there are four across the country and the Forest City Velodrome is still one of them, says the co-founder.
I was part of the group that visited the owner [au début des années 2000] and within three minutes we were selling the idea of building a velodrome in London. Almost 20 years later, we are still here, he shouts.
With reporting from CBC's Isha Bhargava