September 28, 2004 – The International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA)
will focus on Ottawa, Ontario September 28 – October 2, 2004 with an Urban
Hot Spots
campaign aimed to create more and better trail opportunities for Canada’s
Capital city.

Ottawa is home to more than a million people and has some excellent riding
opportunities; however, the city is lacking a cohesive mountain bike trails
community. Bringing together land managers, local trail users, the bike
industry, bike retailers, and IMBA is a major step towards building that
community.

Preserving trail access near cities is one of the most difficult challenges
facing IMBA and mountain bikers. As urban areas continue to expand and open
space dwindles, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for trail enthusiasts
to find convenient places to enjoy the outdoors. The IMBA Urban Hot Spots
program concentrates on addressing this problem in a handful of cities each
year.

With the launch of the new Canadian IMBA office, IMBA’s work in Canada is
gaining momentum. This Urban Hot Spot campaign in the National Capital will
set the stage for continued progress throughout Canada. In the last month,
IMBA’s Canadian office coordinators, Mark Schmidt and Lora Woolner, have
worked throughout Canada, presenting at the World Mountain Bike Conference
in Vancouver, BC, teaching Trailbuilding in East Gwillimbury, ON, building
technical trail features at the Bruce Peninsula Mountain Bike Adventure
Park, networking at the BTAC show, and this week, tackling urban issues in
Ottawa.

IMBA invites bicyclists and the public to attend one or more of the
following events during the Ottawa IMBA Urban Hot Spot campaign. The events
are a great opportunity to learn about trailbuilding, trail access and other
issues that impact outdoor recreation. It’s also a chance to meet IMBA’s
Canadian staff and get involved with your local club. These events celebrate
the spirit of mountain biking and focus on constructive trail management
solutions that benefit all Ottawa outdoor enthusiasts.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

– TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28
7:00 – 9:00 p.m. Around the World with IMBA slideshow
Come mingle with fellow riders and trail users and learn about IMBA’s work
around the world. IMBA’s Lora Woolner and Mark Schmidt will present a fun
and exciting slideshow about riding and travel adventures in the U.S.,
Italy, Wales, Australia, and beyond.

Mountain Equipment Co-op
366 Richmond Road, Ottawa

– THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30
7:00 – 10:00 p.m. IMBA Trailbuilding School (theory)
Learn how to build sustainable and fun singletrack. The school includes
three hours of classroom instruction. Topics include designing a contour
trail, controlling water flow, building effective trail structures, and
routine trail maintenance.

All Saints Lutheran Church
1061 Pinecrest Road, Ottawa

– SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2
9:00 a.m. – IMBA Trailbuilding School (practical)
The fieldwork will be hands-on trailbuilding, so come prepared. You’ll
probably be most comfortable in long pants and a long-sleeved shirt. Wear
sturdy shoes and bring water, snacks, work gloves, sunscreen, and a hat. If
you have any trailbuilding tools–pulaskis, McLeods, rakes, picks, hoes,
shovels–please bring them, too.

– Camp Fortune
LaRocca XC MTB School
www.creative-wheel.com <http://www.creative-wheel.com/>