The City of Windsor wants to know where it should provide an off-road biking facility for those who love mountain biking.
The city's parks and recreation department hosted the first of two open houses Thursday night, to acquaint residents with the different options in Windsor's park system. The first open house took place at the WFCU Centre.
Giant placards were displayed listing the different kinds of off-road biking and a ward map pinpointing places where facilities could go.
Jan Wilson, Windsor's corporate leader of parks, recreation and culture, says it's crucial to reach a consensus.
"Off-road biking to one person means something totally different than what it means to another person," says Wilson. "For clarity, we want to know 'What do you want?' rather than make assumptions on what they want."
Forms of off-road biking include cross-country, enduro, downhill, cyclocross and BMX. There are also different types of bicycles used for BMX and mountain biking.
Windsor City Council asked the parks and recreation department to get public input because of concerns people may be using restricted natural space for off-road biking.
"This has been generated out of some challenges that we've had with people using some of our naturalized areas, and creating ramps for biking on their own that we've actually had to remove because of safety concerns," says Wilson.
Wilson says virtually any area of significant green space in the city could be used to accommodate specific biking disciplines. For example, Virginia Park offers access, parking and amenities.
The second open house will take place February 8 from 5pm to 7pm at Roseland Golf and Curling Club.
From there, the parks department will create a report for city council so it can create an off-road biking plan.
