RickO
03-29-2008, 09:52 AM
Ex-CC'er Larry Tate has an interesting article in today's Toronto Star "Wheels" section entitled: "National motorcycle group seeks to develop official role"
The Motorcyclists Confederation of Canada (MCC) has been around for a while now as an advocacy group aimed at street motorcyclists.
http://www.motorcycling.ca/
They are now attempting to unify all the various motorcycle race sanctioning bodies in Canada like the CMRC, PCSC and WEC under one umbrella with one license that would allow racers to compete in all organizations. Invited to become part of the process is the CMA, still (inexplicably) the only motorcycle racing organization in Canada recognized by the FIM and hence a stepping stone for Canadian racers wanting to advance to international competition. The CMA is refusing to sit down with other race organizers who have increasingly filled a void left by the CMA's seeming refusal to give up the reins while refusing to stage any events.
CMGonline.com has an article on the situation:
http://cmgonline.com/magazine/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=470&Itemid=81
A scan of the CMA event calendar on their website (http://www.canmocycle.ca) shows a road race on Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta along with some Hare Scrambles events out west and then mostly Ontario events such as the traditional flat track races in Welland.
The mission statement of the CMA claims that they value "fair play and equity in the pursuit of excellence". The CMA's website also says that "The CMA is managed by a Board of Directors who are elected by the members." The CMA's apparent president-for-life Marilyn Bastedo says that the official position of the CMA on the MCC's plans is "we have no comment".
This is the same Marilyn Bastedo that threatened legal action against the former publishers of Cycle Canada magazine over an article by then-staffer Claude Leonard that suggested, among other things, she should step down and let someone with fresh ideas run the CMA.
Personally, I have lost track of how long Marilyn Bastedo has run the CMA, but one dead link I tried to follow when Goggling "marilyn bastedo" + "cycle canada" referred to the November, 1980 issue of Cycle Canada magazine and a headline entitled: "Marilyn Bastedo Leaves CMA". That's almost 30 years by my calculation.
I'd like to state my opinion (the last time I checked, I still have a legal right to an opinion in this country, and you can agree or disagree as you like) that the CMA should either take its role as a protector of the rights of motorcyclists seriously or turn it over to an organization that can. The CMA's refusal to sit down and at least talk to the MCC, CMRC, PCSC and WEC makes them look like an arrogant dinosaur.
The Motorcyclists Confederation of Canada (MCC) has been around for a while now as an advocacy group aimed at street motorcyclists.
http://www.motorcycling.ca/
They are now attempting to unify all the various motorcycle race sanctioning bodies in Canada like the CMRC, PCSC and WEC under one umbrella with one license that would allow racers to compete in all organizations. Invited to become part of the process is the CMA, still (inexplicably) the only motorcycle racing organization in Canada recognized by the FIM and hence a stepping stone for Canadian racers wanting to advance to international competition. The CMA is refusing to sit down with other race organizers who have increasingly filled a void left by the CMA's seeming refusal to give up the reins while refusing to stage any events.
CMGonline.com has an article on the situation:
http://cmgonline.com/magazine/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=470&Itemid=81
A scan of the CMA event calendar on their website (http://www.canmocycle.ca) shows a road race on Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta along with some Hare Scrambles events out west and then mostly Ontario events such as the traditional flat track races in Welland.
The mission statement of the CMA claims that they value "fair play and equity in the pursuit of excellence". The CMA's website also says that "The CMA is managed by a Board of Directors who are elected by the members." The CMA's apparent president-for-life Marilyn Bastedo says that the official position of the CMA on the MCC's plans is "we have no comment".
This is the same Marilyn Bastedo that threatened legal action against the former publishers of Cycle Canada magazine over an article by then-staffer Claude Leonard that suggested, among other things, she should step down and let someone with fresh ideas run the CMA.
Personally, I have lost track of how long Marilyn Bastedo has run the CMA, but one dead link I tried to follow when Goggling "marilyn bastedo" + "cycle canada" referred to the November, 1980 issue of Cycle Canada magazine and a headline entitled: "Marilyn Bastedo Leaves CMA". That's almost 30 years by my calculation.
I'd like to state my opinion (the last time I checked, I still have a legal right to an opinion in this country, and you can agree or disagree as you like) that the CMA should either take its role as a protector of the rights of motorcyclists seriously or turn it over to an organization that can. The CMA's refusal to sit down and at least talk to the MCC, CMRC, PCSC and WEC makes them look like an arrogant dinosaur.