About IMBA Canada.
The International Mountain Bicycling Association (Canada) is a national not for profit organization that advocates for mountain bike, and trail access across Canada. Founded internationally in 1988, and nationally in 2004, IMBA supports and represents over 35,000 cyclists worldwide in all forms of mountain biking: cross country, downhill, and freeride.
IMBA Canada’s mission is simple: to ensure that Canada is home to a strong and vibrant mountain biking community, riding a world class network of mountain bike trails.
IMBA Worldwide.
IMBA’s worldwide network includes 35,000 individual members, 750 clubs, 600 retailer shops, and 160 corporate members. IMBA members live in all Canadian provinces and in 30 other countries.
Visit our international page for more information on IMBA’s work outside of Canada.
Meet the Board of Directors
Adrian Alphonso
Adrian is passionate about trails, tourism and storytelling. His life has been dedicated to trails, building them as a teen, and developing programs and policies through both contract work and volunteer in recent years. Presenting, interpretative experiences and facilitating workshops for the community are where he feels most at home. He has been invited to join in, lead discussions and build connections with partners or stakeholders regarding trail development and community engagement to deliver outcomes. Adrian believes trails can inspire a connection, while inviting Manitobans to consider impactful "Trails As Reconciliation". Using the approach of two-eyed seeing (Elder Albert Marshal) and his own Indigenous perspective. He learns from the land and the people around him. He believes in the importance of language, relationships, and reconciliation. adrian@imbacanada.com
Connor Fitzpatrick
Connor Fitzpatrick serves as Treasurer for IMBA Canada, bringing a financial background and a deep personal connection to mountain biking. He works as the Financial Manager at a Canadian outdoor equipment company, where he supports sustainable growth and production and operations. Connor's riding background spans from bike commuting to enduro racing, giving him a practical, rider-first perspective on trail access, advocacy and community development. He's passionate about supporting the long-term financial health of IMBA Canada and the trails that connect riders across the country. connor@imbacanada.com
Maggie Fairholm
Maggie has been an avid mountain biker for a decade, getting her start in the industry at Ottawa’s Fresh Air Experience bike shop back in 2010. Her passion for the sport led her to be involved with the Ottawa Mountain Bike Association as a ride leader, and later as a board member. In this role, she coordinated group rides, led fundraising initiatives, and designed custom OMBA apparel. Fueled by a desire to share the sport with others through instruction, she also obtained her PMBIA Level 1 and Level 2 Air certifications, which she has put to use with Shred Sisters. She is currently a Product Manager at HLC, a role that necessitates a vast knowledge of bicycles, components, and industry trends. Maggie joined IMBA Canada in 2022 motivated to leverage her industry experience and connection to new riders to support the growth of the sport within Canada. Now based in Golden, BC she rides bikes as often as she can, especially at Mount 7 where she tackles her favourite steeps and drops. maggie.f@imbacanada.com
Kyle Hamilton
Kyle Hamilton is an Ottawa-based legal professional with over 15 years of experience as a litigation law clerk, where he is often tasked with guiding legal teams through a dense terrain of data and regulations. Within the cycling community, he shares his passion for the sport through volunteering as a pilot with several tandem cycling programs, supporting athletes with vision loss throughout Ontario. Kyle is committed to organizational excellence and effective risk management. He joined the board of IMBA Canada in August of 2024 and quickly got to work chairing our Governance and Insurance Committees. kyle.hamilton@imbacanada.com
Christine Reid
Christine Reid joined MBA Canada Board late 2024 and is a trail advocate and lifelong cyclist with a strong belief in the power of community and connection that trails create. As a member of the IMBA Canada Board of Directors, she brings leadership experience from her roles as Executive Director of the North Shore Mountain Bike Association (NSMBA) and Cycling BC, where she worked to strengthen partnerships, grow participation, and support sustainable trail and cycling systems. Christine has collaborated closely with trail organizations, land managers, volunteers, and community leaders to advance responsible trail development and stewardship. She sees trails as vital community infrastructure that connect people to nature, each other, and healthy, active lifestyles. christine@imbacanada.com
Jay Darbyshire
Born on the coast and raised in the Kootenays Justin “Jay” Darbyshire possesses a deep passion for exploring our shared physical and cultural landscape through outdoor recreation. He has been involved in the mountain bike industry for over 20 years through both employment and advocacy work. This, coupled with his academic background in Adventure Tourism, gives him a heavy toolbox packed with personal experiences and community recreation development strategies. He left a lasting impact in the Okanagan where, as President of The Mountain Bikers Of The Central Okanagan, he helped formalize the Gillard Trail Network and built strong organizational relationships between recreation groups and local/provincial government. During his time at IMBA Jay has lead projects with Parks Canada, delivered workshops across BC/AB and helped coordinate provincial advocacy - including co-organizing the first ever symposium on diversity in mountain biking. Jay.darby@imbacanada.com
Our History
The International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) was founded in 1988 by a group of California mountain bike clubs concerned about the closure of trails to cyclists. These pioneering clubs believed that mountain biker-education programs and innovative trail management solutions should be developed and promoted.
While this first wave of threatened trail access was concentrated in California, IMBA’s pioneers saw that crowded trails and trail-user conflict were fast becoming worldwide recreation issues. Over the years, IMBA’s programming, support, and staff of professional advocates have continued to grow – but our mission and core values have remained the same.
Our four guiding principles
SPEAK.
IMBA Canada is the voice of mountain biking in Canada. We speak to the benefits of mountain biking, encourage people to take up the sport of mountain biking, advocate on behalf of the mountain bike community, and seek to preserve, enhance and create great trail experiences for mountain bikers.
BUILD.
IMBA Canada understands that the sport of mountain biking, at its core, requires a strong local presence and great trails. Recognizing that riding happens in the community, we encourage and support the development of strong local mountain biking communities that can support the growth and development of the sport at the local level. Recognizing the importance of proper trail construction, we develop and maintain, in conjunction with our IMBA partners around the world, the recognized standards for sustainable trail development and maintenance. Each year, IMBA Canada’s members construct hundreds of kilometers of sustainable, fun singletrack and volunteer more than one million hours to improve trails or open new ones.
RESPECT.
IMBA Canada is dedicated to protecting our public lands and enjoying these lands by mountain bike. Ultimately, preserving the land and riding respectfully are fundamental to ensuring trails will be open to mountain bikers for years to come.
RIDE.
IMBA Canada brings the mountain biking community together to celebrate the sport of mountain biking. Passion for riding fuels our advocacy and trail building efforts. We do it all for one reason: our love of riding.
Sponsors
We are grateful to the sponsors that fund our advocacy, enabling us to support mountain biking communities around Canada. These industry leaders make our staff and programming possible so we can offer trail workshops, club support, grants, educational resources, lobbying campaigns, and more.
Grant Funders
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