On Sunday May 31, Ambassador Geerts of the Netherlands will officially kick off the Go Green, Go Dutch, Go Bike (Ottawa) event. This year everyone is invited to participate and bike together with Ambassador Geerts and Ottawa City Councillor Clive Doucet, who is very pleased to partner is this event.

Go Green Go Dutch Go Bike

The Netherlands is a cyclist’s paradise. No country anywhere in the world has as many cycle paths, which makes cycling here exceptionally safe compared to other countries and contributes greatly to keeping the air clean. Ottawa is also a wonderful city for bikers, especially now that summer is around the corner. There are many advantages to biking: it is sustainable, healthy, promotes quality of life and lessens traffic jams.

The official start of this fun bike ride is at 2:00 pm, with registration beginning 1:30 pm.  From Pretoria bridge, we will bike to the base of the west side of the Bank Street bridge where at 2:20 pm the official unveiling ceremony of an original Dutch “mushroom” signpost will take place. Here, Ambassador Geerts and Councillor Clive Doucet will reveal the ‘ANWB paddestoel’, presented to the City of Ottawa. We will then continue on toward Dow’s Lake and finish at around 2:45 pm at the statue of the Man with Two Hats, where Dutch Groceries will be waiting for you with refreshments. From 2:00 – 4:00 pm a road closure is in effect from Fifth Avenue to Dow’s Lake (cyclists will use the bike path from Pretoria Bridge to Fifth Avenue).

At the registration desk, participants are invited to buy a ‘Go Green, Go Dutch, Go Bike’ T-shirt.  Proceeds will to go Cycle Salvation in Ottawa, a social business with a triple bottom line – people, profit, planet.  This bicycle refurbishment and retail operation was established to train and employ marginalized people while also recycling bikes and promoting cycling.

• WHAT: Fun bike ride for all bike enthusiasts and supporters in Ottawa
• WHEN: Sunday, May 31, 1.30 pm
• WHERE: Registration starts at 1:30 pm at Pretoria Bridge and the Queen Elizabeth Parkway

Unveiling of original Dutch ‘mushroom’ at 2:20 pm  at the base of the West side of the Bank Street Bridge

This bike event is part of a Canada wide bike ride, organized by the Netherlands in Canada: the Embassy in Ottawa, the Consulates General in Montreal, Vancouver and Toronto. The bike rides will be held in Ottawa, Toronto,  Fredericton, London (ON), Winnipeg, Dunnville as well as in Vancouver (September).

It coincides with the start of Canada’s Environment Week. The purpose of this event is to promote cycling as a fun, practical and, above all, an environmentally friendly way of transportation.

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