Tracks left behind from the Canadian Cyclocross Championships on the weekend have some members of Winnipeg’s indigenous community concerned.
As a part of the race course, bikers looped through the grassy hill in between the inner circle and the outer fixtures of the Oodena Celebration Circle.
Jennifer Spence said she was at a loss for words when she saw the muddy trail left behind in a space she, and many others, consider sacred.
Spence says the Oodena Celebration Circle is where the indigenous community comes to heal and to hold special ceremonies. She would like to see the space used more gently.
Organizers of the race were seen cleaning up the area Monday.
Organizer Ian Hall said they try to be stewards of the land and says they worked with The Forks to make sure they do not leave a footprint, and to monitor the impacts of the race.
Clare MacKay with The Forks said there are around 275 events that happen on the site every year and the Oodena Circle is a part of the public space.
She said the circle was built with the intention that everyone could use it.
MacKay added that The Forks will be fully restoring the grass to its original state.
This was the second year the Canadian Cyclocross Championships were held at The Forks, and in 2013 a provincial race was held there as well. In all three races, the course went through the Oodena Circle grass.
Participants and organizers said the conditions this year were muddy, which made the trail more visible.
The national race was hosted here for two years, and is expected to move onto Sherbrooke, Que. next year.
