Stop supporting Tour de l'île until it becomes charity event: Côte St-Luc
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Have you been one of those stuck fuming in traffic during the annual Tour de l'île?
The city of Côte St-Luc has adopted a resolution calling for cities to stop supporting the cycling event with taxpayers' money and other measures unless it changes into a charitable event.
Councillor Mike Cohen said that with a new bike-friendly administration at Montreal city hall, it was time for a new tactic inspired by a long time activist demanding the same thing.
"Tour de l'île has been a pet peeve for a long time," said Cohen in an interview with CJAD 800.
"I'm not a cyclist and I don`t appreciate the event at all - I dread it, in fact. They take the city hostage and for what?"
Cohen said he put forward the resolution since the event is unlikely to disappear with the bicycle-forward Plante administration now in office.
"I would find the inconvenience a little bit more easy to digest if I knew this event was fully endorsing a charitable endeavour," said Cohen.
Cohen suggests agglomeration members pull support, including the half a million dollars a year in policing and other costs.
"Hundreds of thousands of dollars are spent that day - our taxpayers pay for that because of the extra police that has to be all over the streets so there's a cost to everyone for this event as well so if it's not going to be a revenue generator for the city, let them pair with some charities," said Cohen.
"If more municipalities get on board, maybe Vélo Quebec would like to make good will."
Vélo Quebec did not respond yet to a CJAD 800 request for comment but has said in the past that making it a charity event isn't their mission and that participating cyclists can raise money via sponsors.