August 9, 2026 - (Ottawa, ON) In late 2024, following two years of advocacy behind the scenes, Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada quietly announced a $500 million renewal of the popular Active Transportation Fund to support municipalities and first nations across Canada to build the bike infrastructure our members are asking for to have more safe, connected routes in their communities.
Soon after, we had a federal election, a new Prime Minister, a federal election, a new Minister of Housing and Infrastructure, a new budget, and saw cuts to the Canada Public Transit Fund that the Active Transportation Fund is contained within. Meanwhile, there were no funding announcements after well over a year.
Active transportation advocates started to worry.
So Vélo Canada Bikes snapped into action.
We met with Members of Parliament. We launched a letter-writing campaign which led hundreds of constituents to write directly to their Members of Parliament. One hundred and one organizations and businesses signed our joint statement (including the Canadian Cancer Society, the David Suzuki Foundation, the Heart & Stroke Foundation, and the Canadian Public Health Association). We spoke in the media. We worked with allies to get the recommendation into the latest submission from the Green Budget Coalition.
The goal was to urge Minister Gregor Robertson to approve projects without any more delay and to maintain critical federal active transportation. In our work, we highlighted the need for these investments to address the government’s stated affordability, housing and economic objectives.
Last month, we finally got the breakthrough we’ve been working for.
Minister Robertson and Mayor of Tecumseh, Ontario announced the first project from the latest tranche of active transportation infrastructure funding, an expansion and update of the Riverside Trail pathway. It’s an excellent project and a perfect example of what federal funding and leadership can make possible to improve the lives of Canadians through cycling infrastructure.
We have been in direct contact with the Minister’s office and our advocacy on the issue was noted with appreciation. We expect to see many more project announcements over the coming months but we will need to continue to advocate to make sure this becomes a reality.
The government is constantly trying to respond to countless priorities and demands. We know that even when we’ve made progress, we can never take it for granted.
That’s why we’re here. Thanks to the support of our members and donors, we are able to speak up for people across the country who share our vision for a bicycle-friendly Canada.
Our work is far from over. We will continue to follow the roll out of the Active Transportation Fund closely even as we develop new projects to address the unfortunate rise in political opposition to safe cycling infrastructure and the need for better policy for e-bikes.
We need your help to keep this important work going. Donate and join us today.
Become a member of Vélo Canada Bikes here.
Donate to Vélo Canada Bikes here.
