Calgary, here's your big chance!

[Fausto Coppied]

----- Original Message -----
From: edatarzouiandotcom
To: [email protected],[email protected],[email protected],[email protected],[email protected],[email protected],[email protected],[email protected],[email protected],[email protected],[email protected]
Cc: [email protected],[email protected],[email protected],[email protected]
Sent: Wed, 28 Nov 2007 21:46:21 -0600
Subject: Cyclists to Invade Calgary
OK, Calgary, here is your big chance to question all "The Powers that Be" in Canadian cycling this weekend.

The Canadian Cycling Association Annual General Meeting will take place in your city this weekend:

"Notice to all licensed and general members of the Canadian Cycling Association

The CCA Annual General Meeting will be held at the Four Points by Sheraton Calgary West, 8220 Bowridge Crescent NW, Calgary, AB on Sunday December 2, 2007: between 9:00 and 11:00 am. The meeting is open to all current CCA members (proof of membership required). Note: Voting for elected positions is restricted to the designated Provincial delegates. "

All the usual suspects will be there.

In case you didn't know, this year saw the firing of the Finance Director, the High Performance Director, the Marketing Director and two or three coaches,

I might be forgetting somebody.

This year saw the reduction of the CCA budget from $2,700,000 to about $1,500,000. I'm not much on math but that's like a 45% decrease in a year.

Major events were cancelled.

The track in Quebec City was destroyed.

Not one new event.

No new teams were created, some were lost.

The media coverage was even worse than in recent years. Yup, that's you guys, and you ignored the sport even more than you usually do, if that's possible.

For the first time in living memory not one medal was one in any World Cycling championship in any discipline (road, track, mountain bike or BMX) by men or women.

This debacle was overseen by Lorraine Lafreniere, a woman how had never competed herself in a sport and never run a sport organization. She had ZERO experience in the sport of cycling prior to being hired as Director General to run it for the country only about one year ago. How short sighted is that. She was a talking PR head and ran a Coaches Association, which is far more like a trade organization than a sport. In her capacity there she never ran or organized a sporting event.

Finally, to cap the year off the BMX World Cycling Championship held in Victoria that were supposed to bring fame, riches and glory to Canada filed for bankruptcy. Even the CBC is owed $43,000 dollars.

So, here's your big chance ask Lorraine Lafreniere how she could have screwed so much up in so little time.

Bring a shovel for all the ********.

All my best,
Ed Arzouian

 

[Fausto Coppied]

From: Peter Sudermann
Sent: Thursday, November 29, 2007 5:33 PM
To: 'Ed Arzouian'; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; lestomlinsonataol.com; listerfarrarattelus.net; [email protected]; wpomattelus.net; Louiseveloatcs.com; 'Curt Harnett'; et al.....
Subject: RE: Calgary AGM & CBC owed $43,000, not $43.00

Ed,

Your math is fairly accurate. But Ed what I have noticed is that you are very good at publicizing all the things you think are wrong with the CCA. It would be interesting to read from you in a constructive manner how you think these problems could be corrected and if you were the Executive Director how would you run the CCA. Bear in mind your response may be subject to the same scrutiny.

Look forward to your CCA podium strategy paper.

Regards

Peter Sudermann

 

[Fausto Coppied]

Peter,

Since you asked, I have answered the same question in much the same way since 2003, Here is the latest version posted September 21, 2007. I welcome all the scrutiny you want to apply:
s-serif']21-09.-2007, 01:23 AM [/font]

#1 Fausto Coppied​

Jasmine, you have your list. Comments?????​

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So Jasmine, you have your list. Any comments????
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Quote:​

Originally Posted by Fausto Coppied​

Oh, God, this question again! I have been answering it since 2003. If you want it done hire me and I'll do it.​

OK, one more time:​

originally posted Pedalmag.com​

Feb 10, 2005 10:18 am Post subject: ​

​

​

Anonymous wrote:​

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Instead of taking personal shots at each other, we should be discussing what should be happening and is there anything we can do beyond making this public discussion which we know they read.​

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Excellent idea. ​

Is there anything we can do beyond making this public discussion. Yet bet there is. Here is a ​

list of things they could do. You can pick you favorites and write to Bill Kinash and the CCA Board of Directors (all addresses at CCA under "contact us" on a PDF document or write to me and I'll send all you need). Write to your provinces. Write to your newspaper and tell them how screwed up things are and ask why nobody is paying attention. Do we have to wait for a total meltdown likeat Swim Canada. Write to Pedal, Canadian Cyclist and VeloNews and ask why they are burying their heads in the sand.​

Write to this guy, he oversees what the CCA gets.: ​

Tom Scrimger ​

Director General/Directeur général ​

Sport Canada ​

Rm. 5, 16th Fl., 15 Eddy St./Pièce 5, 16e étage, 15 rue Eddy ​

Gatineau, QC K1A 0M5 ​

(819) 956-8153 /Fax (819) 956-8006 ​

[email protected] ​

Here is a short ​

list of things that was posted many times. ​

Posted: Thu Nov 18, 2004 8:21 pm Post subject: ​

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ​

What would I do about it? I have already outlined much of that elsewhere. I will do it again here. ​

1. I am ready and willing to handle the CCA's Marketing and Communications. I would have no problem working with Brett Stewart (current Interim Director General running to be the new Chief Operating Officer) and I do not think he would have a problem working with me. Having had to work under Hutsebaut is like having shared going to war together it brings people closer and creates a bond only those that were there can understand! They need only ask. ​

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2. I would see to it that the CCA focused on domestic racing, all racing, and NOT send our best riders overseas to chase UCI points as was the case for the last ten years. ​

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3. Short term that might mean a loss of Sport Canada funding so we would have to work to wean the CCA off the Sport Canada teat and find it corporate sponsors, in the same way Ski Canada, which used to get $5 million in sponsorship now gets $13 million. They get the same $1.2 million base from Sport Canada. The CCA now gets about $400,000 in sponsorship. How can skiing be 30 times more popular than cycling? I do not think it is more popular at all but even if it is, it surely is not 30 times more popular. The only difference is one person, Ski Canada has Ken Read (before Read they still had $4,000,000, more than the CCA). The CCA has left its Marketing Director job vacant for 21 months. How can you find sponsors if you refuse to even look? That is incompetence and negligence two stated reason for impeachment in the by-laws. ​

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4. I would improve communications at the CCA and see to it that it trickled down to all those provincial associations who are not doing it properly. Quebec would be excluded since they regularly hold press conferences which are well attended and get good coverage. ​

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4 a) simple thing, host a discussion forum on the CCA site to discuss future plans and get **** from people like you, instead of creating rumours and misinformation on sites like this. ​

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5. I would work closer and more open channels to all the mainstream players in the media, picking the key reporters who like the sport and want to see it covered. This is not very difficult. There are only about a dozen key players to focus on across the country. I'm already on a first name basis with most of them. ​

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I have spoken with the Sports Editor of The Leader Post in Regina, CCA President Bill Kinash's hometown. The Editor was not aware of Bill Kinash until I made mention of him. Twenty years of work with the Saskatchewan Cycling Association and his hometown doesn't have a clue who he is. How can you put that guy in charge of the sport nation-wide? The Editor there said "cycling is less than vibrant in SK". Sports Editors at most newspaper across the country already know who I am and respond to my calls and emails. Some have even come to post here, haven't they... ​

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6. I would separate all Master National championships from Junior, Espoirs and Elite National Championship to focus on the young categories where development is needed if there is to be any future. ​

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6. a) This should allow both championships to grow and make for better races for all categories. It creates another big sponsorship opportunity. It differentiates the groups and makes it easier to target the markets sponsors are looking for. ​

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7. A well-sponsored national road series WITH NEW EVENTS would be a very high priority. ​

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7 a) To know what well-sponsored was I would open up CCA financial statements and post them on-line, instead of keeping them a secret. The only reason to hide this information is because it is bad news and embarrassing. If the deals with Louis Garneau and Tim Hortons are poor we should know about it. It should not be hidden from us.​

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7 b) There should be at least one national road race in every province.​

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8. Cycling Tracks in downtown Montreal and Toronto would be very high priorities. Now that the CCA has this charitable foundation, I think I would use it to launch a dedicated fund aimed only at build a velodrome. I would consider the possibility of asking for a surcharge on each and every racing license in the country until there was enough money. There could be a cycling referendum on it. That’s what we did as students at McGill to build the new sports complex. For years while I attended McGill I paid into this a fund each semester like all other students to get the new field house built. I have never stepped into the place but I paid five bucks every course or every semester like everybody else until they had enough to launch the project. Some corporate donors matched the funding. ​

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9. Sales of CCA promotional item across the country via Internet and better bike shops would be undertaken. ​

9 a) Create a ​

list of "CCA-Approved Bike Shops" nation-wide to sell CCA promotional stuff and to let licensed riders get small discounts and know which shops are racing-friendly (ie they sponsor riders, teams, or events) ​

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10. I would re-instate an Official National Criterium Championship for Juniors, Espoirs and Elite (men and women), another important marketing opportunity.​

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11. I would eliminate Master A and add more riders to the Elite field or find a way to incorporate them into Elite field. More riders, better show. ​

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12 I would seek to bring back into the sport all those people with great experience and much knowledge that Pierre Hutsebaut and Brian Jolly have so ****** off that they have left or will have nothing to do with the sport. I’m thinking of guys like Mirek Mazur and others. ​

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13. Present a full slate of qualified candidates for every position that will be open at the next CCA Annual General Meeting. Announce these candidates to the general public not just Provincial Presidents far in advance of the AGM. Have the candidates agree to work with one another on a platform that will have been presented openly and publicly and discussed beforehand with the cycling community on forums like this ​

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13 a) Make the delegates who vote at the AGM public and accountable so their provincial constituents know what they done in their name. ​

That’s a good start. ​

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If we could get rid of current CCA President Bill Kinash now by impeaching him and electing Lesley Tomlinson President, as allowed and laid out in the CCA by-laws, we would not have to suffer through another season of his mistakes and inaction. Instead of wasting three years we will have wasted only two. ​

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Once those things were implemented I would then work on some bigger changes… ​

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We are told the CCA has a 12-year Strategic Plan. Have you seen it? Why is it a secret as well? I can post my plan but the CCA wants to keep theirs in the dark. ​

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Do Bill Kinash and his Board of Directors own the CCA???? Do they have shares in it? ​

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Last time I looked it was supposed to belong to taxpayers. That being the case why hide everything from the public? ​

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It can only be to hide what a poor job they are doing of managing it.​

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Not many of these suggestions written three or four years ago have been done.​

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I would add today, Sept. 17, 2007:​

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1. Fire Lorraine Lafrenière (now than Kim Sebrango was fired, something I called for for months). Hire somebody with experience and understanding of the sport going in. not somebody who has to learn on the job. Hire somebody who is passionate about the sport and can communicate that passion to others. Sounds like common sense does it. It still isn’t happening, Kinash and now Pierre Blanchard continue to hire people who know nothing about the sport.​

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2. Move the CCA out of its disarray of crappy but very expensive ($52,000/yr.) office space in Ottawa and put it near the Forest City Velodrome. Create a complete cycling complex with tracks, mechanic shops, testing and training facilities. Leverage the $600,000 Hamilton Legacy being ****** away in $2000 payments and use it to bargain with a municipal, provincial and federal governments to match it with grants ($600,000 to a municipal $600,000 for $1.2 million to a provincial $1.2 Million for $2.4 million to match a federal $2.4 million for a total of $4.8 million). Show sponsors that were are serious about the sport. Make big plans you get big sponsors.​

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3. Dump the current sponsors who are undervaluing the sponsorship (i.e. Tim Horton’s and Louis Garneau). If we have to go without sponsors for a year so be it better that than to give the sport away.​

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4. One serious dialogue with the cycling industry in Canada. The players have big bucks. They sponsor foreign teams and do little at home.​

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5. Focus on bringing back road racing to downtown major metropolitan areas. That is key.​

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I’ll give you more but how is that for starters.​

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[Fausto Coppied]

From: Peter Metuzals
Sent: Friday, November 30, 2007 11:15 AM
To: Ed Arzouian; Peter Sudermann;, et al.....[/font]
Subject: RE: Calgary AGM & CBC owed $43,000, not $43.00

Nice thoughts, some, and I say some good ideas. Certainly not all.


Why don't you attend the AGM? Ask the questions? the problem I see is all in grass roots. Not enough kids wanting to compete.


Sport and cycling is simply not affordable - make it affordable.

 

[Fausto Coppied]

From: Ed Arzouian
Sent: Friday, November 30, 2007 12:00 PM
To: 'Peter Metuzals'; 'Peter Sudermann'; '[email protected]'; '[email protected]'; '[email protected]'; '[email protected]'; '[email protected]'; et al

Subject: Can you be more specific?

Peter,

Good to hear from you.

I do not have the time to fly to Calgary for a weekend to question people who have no answers, do not want to make any changes and will offer me a line of ********. I’m not going to waste my time or money.

Those suggestions were the same I have been making for ten years. Nothing happens. You generalized them rather quickly. If you have time go to www.cyclingforums.com under the heading “Canada” and post more detailed arguments. I posted this exchange there since you replied to everyone in the email, I’m assuming you would not mind a more public viewing.

I do not buy the “not affordable argument”. Canadian kids have more money than most European kids, certainly most Eastern European kids and now even more than many American kids, yet all these places produce great riders and have better events. Canadian kids have money for IPODS, Game Boys, PlayStations, cellphones, drugs, hockey, golf, skiing, etc.

As for grassroots, sure there is a problem. The problem is grassroots. For years and years the pencil-pushing bureaucrats have drummed up ideas for grass roots in every sport. They don’t work. Kids are not interested in grass roots.

KIDS ARE INTERESTED IN THE BIG SHOW!

Canadian cycling has no “big show” to offer them anymore. Do you think kids going to a cycling race around a cow patch in Armpit, ON, Craphole, MB or Beeffart, AB without a soul in sight and without a penny in prize money are going to aspire to perform in that sport? Of course not.

Give the kids a pro road race downtown with big teams, flashy team vehicles, flashier women, big bucks, etc. and you won’t need to develop your grassroots, kids will want to compete like in hockey, & baseball. Geez man, when I was a kid in the 1970s and started racing some Senior amateurs were winning cars in downtown crits! The best and the most riders Canada ever produced was when we had big-time, downtown road races in major metropolitan areas. Even our best mountain bikers, male and female, found the sport that way. Every single criteria you want to use to evaluate the sport of cycling in Canada over the last 15 years points to a basic fact: the more mountain bike and BMX racing we get and the less road racing we have, the worst things get for the sport in general. The facts are right there for everybody to see but the cycling “leadership” in Canada, for lack of better word, refuse to see it or admit it.

So adults can continue to play on BMX bikes or ride through mud and dust in the woods all they want, the sport will never grow again while they do.

Ed A.