he Cross Canada Cycle Tour Society, December  2025,  Volume 43, Issue #12

FROM THE PRESIDENT’S CORNER

As the calendar year winds down, it’s worth taking a few minutes to reflect on another very successful year, not only in terms of tours and hub and spokes but also in Chapter activity and development. And all this is due entirely to the amazing members who have come forward to propose and lead the tours and hub and spokes, as well as the Directors who have worked tirelessly to ensure that all events will be enjoyable and truly memorable for all participants, and to the movers and shakers in the Chapters who organize all manner of rides and other activities for the greatest number of members. To all these volunteers I say THANK YOU!

The tours have been amazing – who would have thought five years ago that a tour in Albania would be such a delight. The others in Europe, Japan, the Maritimes, Quebec and B.C. have all been great experiences, and the last one of the season, in Thailand, is underway as I write this. More members get to participate in the hub and spokes than the tours and by all accounts, a good time was had by all at the events in Vancouver, Comox, the Cantons de l’Est and Palm Springs. Personally, I was more than pleased to have made it to the Comox hub and spoke where I was able to meet in person many whom I knew only through Zoom, along with many others for the first time.

As I said, the success of the club is due to those who organize and lead all the events. The Directors, Robin Howe, Janet Whitehead and Rhonda Ryan are front and centre in all this, but the leaders and co-leaders are the essential spark plugs, so tell those you know that they are valued; people like Beverly Wagner, Bonita Douglas, Danielle Amerongen, Audrey Sonnenberg, Marg Hurley, Peter Wood, Bruce Daykin, Dianne Schneidmiller, Maureen Angen, Rosanne Coumbis, Nel Ahmed, Geoff Kennedy, Peter Donkers, Dan Carey, Jurgen Harding, Jim Celik, Lawrence Vea, Allan Buium, David Featherstonhaugh, Diane Swindle, and more. If I have missed anyone, my bad!

Of course, the Chapters are the focus for most of the members for the day rides and other activities, all organized by volunteers too numerous to list. You know who they are in your region, so let them know that you appreciate their time and effort. And now we have a new Chapter in Edmonton! An eager group there was attracted to CCCTS for the variety of events it organizes as well as by the level of the cyclists. A few of them are already leading/organizing tours and hub and spokes, and they are looking forward to inviting all members to join them on local rides and events. Welcome Edmonton! We look forward to your Chapter growing and becoming a cycling centre for those near and far, and to being an advocacy group for safe cycling.

The club has grown considerably over the last couple of years, in no small measure due to the creativity and ingenuity of Robin Howe, Janet Whitehead, and now Rhonda Ryan in developing really attractive tours and hub and spokes. Members in the Chapters have also contributed to this growth by talking up the variety of cycling opportunities and the social aspects of all of the CCCTS undertakings. As a consequence of this growth there is a real desire to have more members come forward to propose and lead events. So many of our experienced leaders are more than ready to assist, to mentor, to co-lead, that any new leaders will be well supported. Give it some thought. Where would you like to cycle and why not introduce others to areas that you either know or would like to experience. You will be glad that you did.

All the best of health and good cheer to everyone over the coming Holiday Season!!

Paul Hough

CCCTS Buy and Sell

 

I have 2 items for sale :
New Brooks brown B-!7 leather bike seat -175 x 275 mm , comes with spanner key + Proofide Sachet .
Asking $ 200.00 – Werner at 604-562 2480  South Vancouver , B. C . 
Also new Bontrager Sport ATB Stem  -100mm – 7’  ask. $ 10.00  Werner at 604-562 2480 South Vancouver, B.C.

• 2025 Vancouver H&S

  VANCOUVER HUB & SPOKE, August 11-14, 2025   Orientation Ride UBC – CCCTS Vancouver Hub & Spoke staying @ UBC Pacific Spirit Hostel, 5 days cycling 45 participants            Day 2 Vancouver Neighbourhoods –  Shaughnessy – the old money mansions, False Creek, Kitsilano. Yaletown CCCTS Vancouver Hub & Spoke staying @ … Continue reading 2025 Vancouver H&S→

• 2025 Puget Sound H&S’s

  Read all about the two H&S’s held in Puget Sound WA in 2025.

  Chapter News

Nanaimo.

Yep you read that right.  Nanaimo is starting a fledgling chapter for the orphans not close enough to either Victoria or Comox.   They are just at the organizing day rides at this point but have their sites set on great things.  If you are interested in being included in mail from the Nanaimo chapter please contact Bonita Douglas.

bondoutoo@gmail.com

Victoria

It is with great sadness that I have to report two of our long term members have gone to that big Velodrome in the sky.

Dave Charles was a long term member who participated in organizing a lot of local tours.  He was a great guy and will be missed.

Hans Klein was also an old school member who wrote the Newsbrief for many years.  I passed Hans on the road a few weeks ago and waved to him.  He was riding hard right to the end.  

New Members

Published at least ten times a year by The Cross Canada Cycle Tour Society, a non – profit organization for retired people and others who enjoy recreational cycling. 

Items for the NEWSBRIEF must be received by the 28th of the month. The Editor reserves the right to edit for clarity, brevity and suitability of publication. The views expressed in the “NEWSBRIEF” are not necessarily those of the CCCTS or the Editor.

Submissions for NEWSBRIEF should be emailed to alaird212@gmail.com