A weekend in La Broquerie, Manitoba
This past weekend, three of us embarked on a little Manitoba adventure that broadened our horizons and expanded our community.
This past spring, I was invited to speak at a City Planner’s conference, where I talked about my book and my journey to bike advocacy. At this conference, I met Ryan Curwin, the Development Officer for the R. M. of La Broquerie, and he asked if I’d be willing to come out to check out the beautiful trails of La Broquerie sometime this summer. This seemed like a perfect excuse for a chill, beginner bike trip through South East Manitoba. Eighty-two kilometers door-to-door is chill, right?
So, with our bikes, panniers, water bottles, and a very strong wind at our backs, Ian, myself, and Linda V. set off on our way midday on Saturday. Our route, courtesy of Daniel Perry, Randonneur Extraordinaire, was a mix of highway shoulders, country gravel roads, and paved roads. I would say the only sketchy part was the last 20 kilometers on Highway 210 from St. Anne to La Broquerie, where all drivers, save for one, were courteous and gave us plenty of space. We’ll share some highlights of the actual ride there once we go through the footage. After 4+ hours with several snack stops, we arrived in La Broquerie and made our way to the quaint hotel in town, where the owner happily greeted us and allowed us to bring our bikes into our rooms. He also served us in the restaurant, possibly made our supper, poured our beverages, and brought us extra towels.
In the morning, we hopped back on our bikes and headed over to the picnic shelter at the park, where the staff at the R.M. office, Desiree and Jo-Anne, and I’m sure many more, organized, planned, and promoted a beautiful group ride and BBQ, inviting folks from Winnipeg, La Broquerie, Steinbach, and surrounding areas to join. In total, we had almost 60 attendees, including kids, seniors, and everyone in between.
Richard, a longtime resident and fervent Habs fan (the local Habs team, not that other one), took us along the trail and shared stories, along with the deputy reeve, the CAO, and Ryan Curwin. The trail is an absolute beauty, meandering through trees, over bridges, through the famous Covered Bridge of Pioneers, along the golf course, and beside the road that leads out of town, where it ends, though hopefully not for long. The plan is to connect to neighboring communities, creating a network of accessible, safe, and protected paths for all ages and abilities to enjoy.
After the ride, we were invited to and treated with the local Fall Supper in the new French School, École Saint-Joachim, where hundreds of locals and visitors enjoyed a humongous plate of turkey, ham, and all the trimmings. Oh, and pie!
La Broquerie is a beautiful example of a community that is growing and wants to do so sustainably. When you build these protected paths for all ages, you promote recreation, healthy lifestyles, active transportation, and the invisible side effect is that you activate and strengthen your community. After all, what’s better than to pass someone on your bike, smile, wave, and wish them a good day?
This is how one bike path at a time, strangers become friends, and friends become your forever bike family.
Thank you to all our old friends and new friends who drove in from Winnipeg, and to the staff of the R.M. of La Broquerie who welcomed us and made us feel like family. Let’s do this again soon!
