|
|
|
Maps Updated!
|
Downtown Fort Erie could see influx of cyclists this year If two local business owners have their way, downtown Fort Erie could be seeing a lot more tourists, of the cyclist variety, this summer. Peter Koutroulakis, owner of the Old Bank Bistro on Jarvis Street, and Brian McCooey, of McCooey's Bicycle and Vacuum, are both avid cyclists. After hearing about this year's Niagara Region Public Health cycling promotion, they both said they knew Fort Erie would have to promote itself to get on the cycling map. With the Greater Niagara Circle Route now finished, Fort Erie is as easy to access as Niagara Falls, St. Catharines or Niagara-on-the-Lake. A lot of cyclists in the region don't know much about Fort Erie, Koutroulakis said. "So they don't use it as a destination, but now they're finding that because there's other people interested in bringing them here, they might come," he said. Marian Landry, a health promoter with Public Health, is also an active member of the Niagara Freewheelers cycling club. Every year, her regional department oversees a pro-cycling campaign. This year, one of the campaign's goals is to get people thinking about Fort Erie as a destination. She says the town has a lot to offer already, including beautiful river views, the Lake Erie shoreline and great restaurants and shops. "It's encouraging people to jump on the trail and get off at various locations along the trail and get to know Niagara," Landry said. "I love the lake...just to be on the lake is wonderful." Koutroulakis' restaurant will likely become a hub of the local cycling scene, as he has offered 20 $20 gift certificates to the first 20 team captains who join the region's 2008 cycling campaign launch week at the end of May. McCooey is also considering handing out gift certificates at his Dufferin Street bicycle repair and sales shop. "Now how do we take care of these people? Not only bring them into town, but how do we come back and give them what they're asking for, which is bike racks, some signage for what services we provide?" Koutroulakis said, adding he brought up the bike rack issue at the most recent Bridgeburg Business Improvement Association meeting. McCooey agreed. "I think (bikes racks are) a great idea. When people go in anywhere to eat, they want security for their bikes. If you have bike racks, it's a silent message to say, 'We're bicycle-friendly.'" McCooey has been involved in his family business for 38 years and has been an avid cyclist for more than 15, he said. He thinks having more cycling tourists in the Bridgeburg couldn't possibly be a bad thing. "Whenever you bring somebody new to this area, they see other things that might bring them back. If they're cycling through here, they might stop, see something else, come back with their car, you get some added spin-off from that," he said. He said the ideas Koutroulakis has for the downtown area will "get this end of town going." "We hear a lot of negatives...but if you look at it, we're probably one of the most solid parts of town," McCooey said. The Region's pro-cycling campaign kicks off on May 26 and lasts through to June 1. Right now, teams are being recruited to participate. Captains must find ten participants willing to ride at least twice in the kick-off week. Each time a member takes a trip, they will get a ballot to be entered into a grand prize draw for a dinner at Kiefer Mansion in Thorold. There will be other prizes for cycling teams throughout the summer. "It's all to give people some incentives to get out and try the trails," Landry said. For more information check out www.rnbc.info.
|