Karl Mills - March 2001 Volunteer of the month

Karl Mills is a cyclist who responded to "the call" again in 2001 as he did before, and by doing so has made a difference for cycling in Ottawa.

As a former member of the Cumberland Cycling Advisory Committee, Karl worked with others to improve cycling in the far east end of the urban area, and near east end of the rural area of the Region of Ottawa-Carleton. The Committee ended several years ago, and with it, his first round of involvement although he remained a long-time CfSC member and graduated from the CAN-BIKE II cycling skills course.

All former municipal cycling advisory committees also ended on December 31, 2001, the last day that their parent cities existed. On January 1, 2001 the new City of Ottawa was established. But it had no citizens' cycling advisory committee. One was not expected to be established for another six months if ever.

Former members of the cycling advisory committees had agreed to carry on together as an informal committee in 2001 until an official committee was struck by the city. But there had been no Cumberland cycling committee in 2000 and therefore would be no knowledge brought forward from that committee's work and part of the huge new city.

The call came. And Karl answered, without hesitation. The informal committee met for the first time on January 9, 2001. With Karl at the table, the informal Ottawa Cycling Committee was able to achieve its goal of participation of residents from a significant area of the city and all former cycling advisory committees.

Taking notes of a meeting is a job that few people are good at and many people hate. But Karl answered the call - twice - for a volunteer note taker, when the informal committee had to make do with its own resources. And even before warm spring weather had arrived, Karl was observed to be leaving the meeting by bicycle to ride more than 20 kilometres home, when others who lived much closer were doing far less cycling.

In March 2001 cyclists were shocked to learn that city staff were not recommending that a specific cycling advisory committee be among those citizens advisory committees in the new city. A campaign to convince city councillors to create such a committee was mounted. Could they be convinced? There was less than one week before the vote.

Such campaigns are won or lost one councillor, one vote, at a time. And again Karl answered "the call" to make a call, taking time to communicate with his city councillor to assure him that a cycling advisory committee would benefit city residents, and that it was important to at least one resident of the ward. This was critically important, for few cyclists from that ward with Karl's knowledge and enthusiasm could be identified quickly to be advocates of the issue.

On March 28 City Council voted in favour of a citizens cycling advisory committee. A favourable outcome for cycling could have been lost without Karl's efforts, and many others like him.

For his long-term efforts on behalf of local cyclists and answering the calls when the needs were great, we thank Karl Mills.