Claire Morissette

Early Activism

Claire Morissette became involved in cycling advocacy in her mid-20s, during a time of pronounced urban activism in the city of Montreal. Morissette was already well acquainted with Montreal’s activist scene and was committed to several progressive causes. (See also Active Citizenship.) The cycling advocacy group Le Monde à bicyclette was only a few months old when Morissette decided to join after a chance encounter with the group’s organizer, Robert “Bicycle Bob” Silverman. The two became close friends and allies who worked to accomplish their shared goal of a more bike-friendly city.

Le Monde à bicyclette

Claire Morissette quickly became one of the central figures in Le Monde à bicyclette, coordinating its activities for more than 15 years. She regularly assisted in the organizations “cyclodramas.” These were street theatre performances that drew attention to cycling-related issues in Montreal, such as car accidents or a lack of infrastructure (see Automobile). To advance her cause, Morissette also spoke regularly with the news media and with politicians. Most North American cities of the middle and latter decades of the 20th century were almost entirely dominated by cars as the primary means of transport. Morissette’s goal was to ensure that bicycles were given their rightful place within the urban environment. Unlike cars and trucks, bicycles do not pollute, take up comparatively little space and improve the health of their riders. Of her many accomplishments, Morissette was instrumental in the creation of a bike lane to connect Montreal with the South Shore community of Saint-Lambert.

Publications

Claire Morissette was a prolific writer, researching and contributing many articles to Le Monde à bicyclette’s newsletter of the same name. Her output caught the attention of Montreal publishing house Écosociété, which published her book Deux roues, un avenir: le vélo en ville (1994). The book covered many topics, including the health and ecological benefits of cycling, technical advice on bike mechanics, cycling technique and Morissette’s thoughts on feminism as a woman and cycling activist (see Bicycling).

Communauto

While researching for her book, Claire Morissette became fascinated by some of the problems caused by cars in urban environments. She learned of car-sharing programs in Europe and similar efforts in Quebec City. Recognizing the environmental benefits of car sharing, Morissette became the business partner of Benoît Robert, founder of Communauto, a car-sharing service. Morissette would help establish the program in Montreal. Communauto is now found in several Canadian provinces and cities, as well as in Paris.

Did you know?

Communauto is a bilingual pun and play on words that describes the company’s car-sharing service. It is a contraction of communal/community and auto.

Cyclo Nord-Sud

Another of Claire Morissette’s projects was the establishment of Cyclo Nord-Sud in 1999. While conducting research for her book, Morissette discovered that bicycles were exceptionally useful in developing countries where access to cars and gasoline could be limited. She also found that bikes provided women with economic or social independence. Cyclo Nord-Sud collects used bicycles with the goal of transforming lives. Since its creation, Cyclo Nord-Sud has sent over 63,000 used bicycles from North America to deserving people in Africa and Latin America.

Cyclo Nord-Sud is the recipient of numerous awards. At Écodéfi 2005, a conference focusing on women’s health and the environment, Le Réseau québécois des femmes en environnement honoured Morissette for her work.

Legacy

Claire Morissette spent her final years battling breast cancer, which ultimately took her life on 20 July 2007. Shortly before she passed away, she attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony for Montreal’s long, east-west De Maisonneuve bike path. In 2008, the city of Montreal named the bike path in her honour.