October 06, 2014 (Milton, ON) – It’s official! A little more than two years after the announcement that a permanent cycling facility was to be built for the PanAm Games, Ontario Cycling has signed a lease with the Town of Milton for our office to be located at the Mattamy National Cycling Centre – a world class Velodrome and athletic centre right here in the GTA’s backyard.
The deal was extra sweet for Ontario Cycling’s CEO Jim Crosscombe as the lease was signed on his birthday. “Since the games were announced, it was our desire to be part of the Velodrome. As a result, we led the charge from what was once a portable facility to a permanent legacy for our sport. The town of Milton brought it home, along with PanAm 2015 and the help of our federal, provincial and private funders. It’s been a multi year process with a few false starts, however we are finally here and the OCA is very proud to call Milton, Ontario our new home . Although this facility will house our offices and allow us to develop a strong track program, the funding we have received as a result of our first daily training environment will benefit all of our sports.” said Jim Crosscombe.
On November 15th, Ontario Cycling will change it’s address to 2015 Pan Am Boulevard, taking up residence in a brand new office with over 1800 square feet of space. Jim, along with Greg Rawson, OCA Sport Manager, and Steve Palmer from the Town of Milton recently visited the facility just in time to look at the track, fully installed, before it was covered up.
In addition to the Canadian National Track Championships and the UCI test event now taking place in January, Ontario Cycling will be running an Ontario Cup and Youth Cup Series. Originally, the plan was to have both events debut in the month of December. Delays in the completion of the building forced the cancellation of these 2014 events. The good news is, starting in the early New Year, both series will give OCA membership of all ages the opportunity to race on the track.
For those members looking to get on the track prior to the O-Cup and Youth Cup series, the Town of Milton is offering the following programs for all abilities:
- Get on the bike – Learn to ride, work on developing and refining skills.
- Get on the track – Get a taste of the track through “try it” sessions and get certified to ride.
- Ride the track – Become a member to drop in and ride recreationally, or take a beginner or intermediate course. Ramp it up with advanced training, racing and more.
- Once certified, cyclists will also be able to participate in drop-in programs beginning this December. We encourage everyone to sign up for those programs through the Mattamy National Cycling Center Website
“The opportunity to develop long-lasting synergies for our sport within the community of Milton, the province of Ontario, and across Canada is in front of us, and the vision for the sport of cycling in Canada is bigger than ever before,” said Steve Bauer, Head Coach of the Milton Cycling Academy, which will operate out of the Velodrome.
The Mattamy National Cycling Centre will officially open on Saturday, November 29 when it hosts a “Visit the Velo Open House.” This free community event will feature guided tours, cycling demonstrations by the Canadian National Cycling Team, fitness classes and workouts in the fitness centre, and family-friendly sports and visits to the walking/jogging/training track.
