Starting a local chapter

 While we were waiting for our trishaw to arrive, I was posting it's progress on a Facebook page I had created in 2019 when Jane Williams Hu visited Mississauga with a trishaw and we were able to showcase it to our ex-mayor Mme Hazel McCallion.  We took the opportunity to take a few pictures at the event which I use as the cover picture of the Facebook page for Cycling Without Age - Mississauga.  Up to the creation of this blog, that was the only other online presence we had for the fledgling project.  

Jane sent me some documents outlining the responsibilities of the chapter and it's dedication to giving free rides to its patrons.  My experience with the Facebook fundraiser and the questions it raised.. .one being if this was going to be Hazel McCallions personal vehicle.. got me to acknowledge that if it was going to succeed, we would need to create a non-profit company to look after the financing of the project.  I was warned off trying to bite off more than I could chew by seeking Charitable status for the company, a lucrative offering which translates into much higher revenues from donors looking to write off wealth and other charities looking to share theirs with like minded companies that also had charitable status.

Since that was off the table, the next best thing was to try to partner with an existing charity that had similar aims to ours.  A recent development of a bicycle charity coming to Mississauga may be that opportunity but I have yet to pursue that avenue.  Trailblazers Tandem is a tandem cycling club which pairs able captains with (usually sight) disabled stokers.  It has been operating in the GTA for a few decades and recently opened a shed in Mississauga at the Mississauga Valley Community Centre.  I had learned about their program and joined as a captain since I have been comfortable riding a tandem for several years.  My orientation and training with an experienced stoker went really well and although I use my electric assisted tandem I am getting better at co-ordinating with a stoker.  I'm looking forward to doing more rides with the organization.

I registered a non-profit company in the name of Cycling Without Age - Mississauga and opened a bank account in it's name to which we could then deposit the proceeds of the Facebook fund raiser.  Although not too onerous, the paperwork just to open an account was daunting.  I am glad I didn't pursue a Charitable non-profit but that is not completely out of the question for the future.

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