Dear Residents of Clare,

The Municipality of Clare, Vélo Baie Sainte-Marie and its community partners are excited once again to be organizing the Gran Fondo Baie Sainte-Marie cycling event on Sunday, September 22, 2019!

Why a Gran Fondo? Gran Fondo is a fun cycling event that extends our tourist season, combines a healthy lifestyle, outdoor recreation and Acadian hospitality into an unforgettable experience for participants. We strive for continuous improvement and sustainability by reinvesting revenues, if any, into next year’s event. Our event creates a significant amount of economic activity in Clare and the region. Everyone benefits!

How will traffic be affected? We are working closely with the RCMP and NS Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal to develop a traffic control plan to safely start the event at the Vélo Baie Sainte-Marie bike shop in Saulnierville (9976 Highway 1, Saulnierville). Traffic will be temporarily restricted from passing on Highway 1 from Eustache Comeau Rd. to in front of the bike shop from 8 am to 10 am (except in the case of local traffic and emergency vehicles). The same detour will be in place heading west at Patrice Road. Please use Highway 101 for travel when possible.

• The 161 km Super Gran starts at 8:30 am, the 118 km Gran Fondo at 8:45 am, the 89 km Mezzo Fondo at 9 a.m., the 67 km Medio Fondo at 9:15 am and 35 km Piccolo at 9:30 am. The Start/Finish will be at the Vélo Baie Sainte-Marie bike shop.
• Please drive carefully as there will be 950+ cyclists enjoying our incredible scenery and culture!
• There will be a motorcycle escort for each ride as well as lead and sweep vehicles (motorcycles and trucks with amber lights) for the duration of the event.
• There will be a moving closure plan with the assistance from the local fire departments where vehicles driving onto Highway 1 will be held back while cyclists pass (8:15 am to 10 am) at all intersections along Highway 1 between Vélo Baie Sainte-Marie bike shop and Patrice Road in Church Point. Volunteers will be situated at several intersections to assist cyclists in navigating key turns.
• It is expected that the Super and Gran Fondo rides will last for several hpours until approximately 4 pm.

What is the best way to share the road with cyclists?

• Leave at least 1 metre (3 feet) of space when passing a cyclist.
• You may cross a yellow line to pass a cyclist if it is safe to do so. Only pass if there is no oncoming traffic. If you can’t pass safely, wait.
• Cyclists can’t always ride on the extreme right. Sometimes the edge of the road may be in poor condition or the cyclist may be preparing for a left turn.

How can I help? Since 85% of the participants are from outside of Clare, let’s show off our famous Acadian hospitality! Please support the cyclists by cheering them on with our Acadian flags, cowbells and words of encouragement as they pass through Hwy 1, the 340, Second Division Rd and roads in between! During event day, tune into Radio CIFA (104.1 FM) for updates on where the cyclists are riding. Please see the attached map showing approximate times of when the lead cyclists will be passing by along the routes. If you own dogs, it would be appreciated that they be tied up. We encourage you to take photos and share!

Click here to download the map!

For more information: granfondobaiesaintemarie.ca or “Like” our Facebook page! #granfondobsm

Thank You! - The Gran Fondo Baie Sainte-Marie team

Press Release
(For immediate release)

NEW COMMUNITY FLAG POLE AIMS TO SUPPORT AWARENESS OF GROUPS, CAUSES IN CLARE

Little Brook, NS – September 17, 2019: The Municipality of Clare has put up a community flag pole on the grounds of the municipal office. This special purpose flag pole will be made available to community organizations wishing to fly a flag in honour of an event or a special cause.

“The Municipality intends for the community flag pole to be used as a tool for bringing attention to issues that are important to our community groups and to our residents,” said Stéphane Cyr, Chief Administrative Officer for the Municipality of Clare.

Requests to use the community flag pole will be reviewed and approved by Council for the Municipality of Clare. The Municipality will not approve applications from organizations in support of political parties, commercial organizations, religious groups, or groups that support social or racial intolerance, violence or hatred.

The Municipality will collaborate with any community group making use of the flag pole to advise the public of the significance of the flag being flown. On days when there is no community organization’s flag on the flag pole, the municipal flag will be flown.

Community groups and organizations interested in having a flag flown are invited to consult the Municipality of Clare’s Flag Flying Policy, which can be found at the municipal office or under the By-laws and Policies section of the municipal web site.

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Settled in 1768 and incorporated in 1879, the Municipality of Clare is located at the southwestern tip of Nova Scotia with approximately 8,000 residents. The Municipality of Clare is the only municipality in the province that conducts business and offers services in both official languages, French and English.

Media Contact / Interviews:

Stéphane Cyr
Chief Administrative Officer
Municipality of Clare
902-769-2031


Amy Paradis
Communications Officer
Municipality of Clare
902-769-2031