About us
Caravane is a non-profit organisation created in December 2009.
Mission
To promote personal and cross-cultural exchanges through cycling.
Vision
- At Caravane, we believe in fostering strong connections among people regardless of race or origin.
- We develop activities and initiatives that foster interpersonal exchanges.
- We believe that the bicycle can be a powerful tool due to its accessibility, its simplicity, its health benefits, its ecological benefits and its universality.
- Caravane welcomes collaborations with other organisations whose initiatives advance our mission.
Structure and Operation
The board of directors is currently made up of seven members who are elected for a period of one year in an annual general assembly. The board members select the Chair, Secretary of the Board, Treasurer, and, if needed, the Vice-Chair. The board also appoints the Director General and the Technical Director from among its members
Board of Directors
Guy Amou (Chair)
Céline Brassard (Secretary)
Koffi Toulassi (Treasurer)
Papa Amadou Touré
Neil Guildings
Francis Mallette
Fabienne Pyun
Staff
Director General– Papa Amadou Touré, the creator of Caravane, is of Senegalese origin and has lived in Montreal since 2005. He represents the immigrant adapting to life in a new country. He is a medical school graduate and an avid cyclist. Cycling has had a profound impact on his life and remains his sole mode of transportation, even in the winter.
Technical Director–Francis Malette brings ten years of bicycle mechanics experience to Caravane. He graduated from the École polytechnique de Montreal in mechanical engineering and has strong networks with organisations working in the field. Indeed, Malette is considered a local authority in bicycle mechanics. He is also an energy efficiency technician and currently works for the Éconologis programme. Malette gave Papa Amadou Touré a course in bicycle mechanics and the two have been close ever since.
Team
Our team is currently made up of dedicated volunteers who are essential cogs in the wheel of operations at Caravane. Be they mechanics, webmasters, stall animators, or administrative assistants, their talent and dynamism is indispensable.
5 Comments
Jean
Keep up the great work!Lydia
Just read about your organization in The Globe and Mail - I don't live in Montreal, nor do I cycle, but I have tremendous admiration for someone who gives to the community in this way, particularly for someone who has only been in Canada for only 7 years and who faces the career disappointments you do.Seymour
I'm just doing a school assignment on your article in the Globe & Mail and have only good words about your organization :)James Hoyle
Hey Papa Amadou, I saw you in the Globe, right on! Cycling is one of lifes simple pleasures as we know. It is so kool to see people get back on a bike again after they left them behind in childhood. I am also a volunteer bike guide out here in Whistler showing folks the tricks of the trails. Spread the good!Stéphanie Casimir
Super comme projet! Cela contribue grandement au maintien d'une bonne santé de façon agréable (pour ceux qui, comme moi, n'aiment pas le gym et n'ont pas envie de dépenser une fortune pour se maintenir en forme). Le vélo est une activité abordable qui peut se pratiquer seul ou en groupe et surtout en FAMILLE!. C'est une belle façon de développer un réseau et d'avoir du plaisir. J'ai vraiment le goût de m'y remettre comme lorsque j'était gamine!