NEWS ARTICLE

ISLAND EAST CYCLING EVENT 2008
     November 27, 2008 — Phil Arbing

On Thanksgiving weekend (October 11--13) various segments of the beautiful Confederation Trail in Eastern Prince Edward Island provided a superb setting for the second Island East Cycling Event organized by Island Trails. Seventy-three people registered for the three day event, primarily recreational cyclists including sixteen from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, some of whom participated in the 2007 event.
The weather was excellent, sunny and surprisingly warm for the time of year. The fall foliage provided a beautiful and colourful background setting along the Trail. The trail surface was excellent and well groomed.This cycling event emphasized enjoyment and camaraderie among participants. Social gatherings were held at the beginning and end of each day.
Day one began with a reception, refreshments and a formal opening at the St. Peter’s Visitor Information Centre and ended with hot food and a warm welcome from Souris Mayor JoAnne Reid at the Silver Threads Seniors Centre in Souris. Day two began with refreshments at the Hillsborough River Eco Centre in Mount Stewart and ended at the Old Station on the Montague Waterfront where the participants had lunch. The Iona Parish Hall was the site for refreshments to start day three with participants being treated to a hot lunch and entertainment at the finish at the Plough the Waves Centre in Wood Islands, perhaps the highlight of the weekend.
Adding to the event was a draw each day for many prizes of goods and services donated by organizations and businesses primarily from Eastern PEI. A 50/50 draw was also held. Interestingly the prize for this draw was $50.50 on each of the first two days. Another positive feature of the weekend was that drivers of vehicles were provided transportation back to the starting point on all three days. In terms of value for money participants received a great deal for the minimal event registration fee of $20.00.
Evaluations completed by participants provided many supportive comments including, "this fall event is a must for 2009".
In addition to representatives of Island Trails and other volunteers from the various communities,Trail Officers accompanied participants on all three days. They were visible in their yellow apparel whether in the lead, mingling with cyclists along the way or serving as "sweeps" at the tail. Volunteers Mike Nesbitt and Jan Meulenkamp together with Doug Murray served as photographers for the event. They took many beautiful pictures of the participants , the social situations, the foliage and other natural elements of the Trail. These can be seen soon on the Island Trails website at www.islandtrails.ca

Many individuals, volunteers, organizations, businesses as well as the RCMP contributed to the success of the weekend. The many sponsors contributed over $5000. worth of goods, services or cash were acknowledged and listed in the event brochure. The Department of Tourism and the Island East Tourism Organization provided noteworthy support, expertise and resources.
The primary purpose of the three day Island East Cycling Event 2008 was to provide participants of all ages with a scenic recreational cycling experience on the main sections of Confederation Trail and through many quaint areas in Eastern PEI. Given the interest generated and support provided over the past two years the committee is planning a similar event in 2009. In view of comments and concerns that Thanksgiving weekend may not be the best weekend due to family commitments, travel plans. etc. it is suggested that a 2009 event be held a week earlier (October 2,3 and 4). Hopefully the weather would be suitable and the fall foliage at it's best so as to contribute to another pleasant and positive outdoor experience for even more participants.

The overall success of this event can be attributed in large part to Grace Blackette, Coordinator, Island Trails. Grace's dedication, leadership, and organizational efforts including identifying resources and community support were most helpful and appreciated.



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