Version dated 2026-07-24.

This policy is designed to promote fairness and ensure accountability.

Copies of this policy and the other forms mentioned in it can be accessed here:

●     https://www.tbn.ca/Overnight-trips-documents

○     Overnight Trips Policy

○     Trip Proposal and Website Event Page Form

○     Trip Budget Worksheet

○     Trip Expense Report Form

1. Scope

Any TBN multi-day trip, with the exception of Cyclon, will be subject to the Overnight Trips Policy.

2. Trip Proposal, Budget and Expense Report

All overnight trip leaders must submit a proposal and budget for review and approval by the Overnight Trips Director, prior to the event page being created and posted, and ideally a few months in advance of the desired date of the trip.  Proper promotion is essential to running a good trip, and this lead time is necessary to advertise the trip effectively on the website and in newsletters, as well as to book any facilities required.

Proposed trips must be suitable to the time of year and avoid conflicts with other previously approved or core events.

Potential leaders should have some experience in leading trips.

Proposal: Proposals ideally should be submitted using the form available on the TBN website, as this helps capture all the information required for the website event page as well. They should include such details as the dates, itinerary, registration period (see sec. 4), minimum and maximum number of participants, cancellation date, who and how bookings (lodging, vehicle rentals, etc.) are being made and paid for, and booking deadline(s).

Budget: The object of the trip budget is for the trip to break even. The financial portion of the proposal should give a budget, based on realistic participation forecasts and where applicable include actual quotes/contracts from vendors.

The Budget does not include costs paid directly by each participant for lodging, travel, meals, etc.

The Budget should include all costs that will be paid by the participants’ registration fees:

●     Cost of route research and scouting

●     Lodging, based on double occupancy if possible, for all participants including the Trip Leader(s)

●     Group meals

●     Administrative expenses (copying, phone, postage, etc)

●     Maps and cue sheets printing/copying

●     Special events

●     Socials and van provisions

●     Other costs (ferries, shuttles, gratuities, jerseys, etc)

●     Van rental and insurance

●     Van operation expenses (gas, parking fees)

●     Compensation for additional helpers (such as the sag-wagon driver, if necessary)

●     All applicable taxes

●     An additional 5% contingency factor

The Trip Leader Honorarium is listed separately in the Budget and Expense Report as it is paid by TBN and not included in the trip budget total cost and so registrant fees. 

Budget Total divided by the forecasted minimum number of participants, is used to set the registration ticket fee(s).

The proposal must note who and how bookings (lodging, vehicle rentals, etc.) are being made and paid for by:

●     Participant directly.

●     Leader, recovered from participants, or from registrant fees.

●     TBN with a booking contract, recovered from registrant fees.

If there is a TBN paid booking contract then the proposal and the contract must be submitted to the TBN Overnight Trips Director (for initial review and approval), who will then forward to the TBN President (for signing and approving the contract), and then to the TBN Treasurer (for managing and completing payments). Only then can the trip be approved to proceed and be posted as a TBN event. The Overnight Trips Director shall maintain a spreadsheet of trip booking contracts with payment and cancellation related amounts and dates. This will be shared with the trip leader so that the trip leader can manage these contract terms, and make any necessary cancellation decisions. 

If there is no TBN booking contract then proposals and budgets must still be submitted to and approved by the Overnight Trips Director to proceed and be posted as a TBN event.

Budget Trip Leader Honorarium section, is for listing the Trip Leader’s budgeted lodging costs, that after the trip they will submit on the Trip Leader Expense Report (along with other Budget costs the leader paid for). TBN will use this cost to determine and advise the Trip Leader the honorarium amount that TBN will pay them after the trip, per the procedure outlined in section “3. Trip Leader Honorarium.” 

3. Trip Leader Honorarium

TBN will pay: For trips up to 50 people a single Trip Leader an honorarium of $50 minimum, or up to $100 per night of their accommodation costs; For trips up to 50 people a $50 honorarium for a second assisting Trip Leader; For trips over 50 people up to two Trip Leaders an honorarium each of $50 minimum, or up to $100 per night of their accommodation costs.

Trip Leaders can elect to share their honorarium with others helping significantly with the trip organization/leadership.

In special cases and where circumstances warrant, these sums may be revised and approved by the Board of Directors.

The Trip Leader Honorarium is listed separately in the Budget and Expense Report as it is paid by TBN and not included in the trip budget total cost and so registrant fees. 

The trip leader must initially register and pay along with all the other participants. The trip leader’s honorarium claim should be included with receipts in the post Trip Expense Report. It will be paid by cheque when all accounting and expenses have been submitted, approved, and processed. In no case should a trip leader withhold the honorarium cost from a remittance of surplus advances.

Leaders will personally accept no other benefits arising from their position as organizer, but  will report and hand over any offered benefits to the club.

4. Promotion

Leaders must forward a description of the trip to the Overnight Trips Director in order that the trip can be promoted through all of the club’s promotional channels--website, Quick Release newsletter, Chain of Events email letter, and social media platforms--well in advance of the first booking date. Full details and itinerary must be available before the trip goes on sale.

5. Registrations for Members

All trips will be advertised with a first booking date. The leader prior to this date may take NO reservations.

The trip should be open to club members only for an initial period, after which non-members and 30-day-trial members may apply (recommend no earlier than 30 days prior to the trip start date).

Event page registration ticket(s) will be created for on-line registration and payment. The form should include details specific to that trip, such as meal preferences or point of departure.

Registration is generally completed on line even if the member elects to pay by cheque (which can be indicated on the registration form). In exceptional circumstances, the registrant may request that the trip leader complete the on-line registration for him or her.

In addition, all registrants must sign the TBN's Release of Indemnity Agreement and Waiver form. They may read it on the TBN website, and tick a box on the registration form to signal their agreement.

6. Registrations for Non-Members and 30-Day-Trial Members

Non-Members and 30-Day-Trial Members may participate in multi-day trips with the payment of an additional amount to be set by the leader and the Overnight Trips Director. However, they should be encouraged to become full members before registering for a trip, and therefore the following ticket pricing and text is recommended:

●     30-Day-Trial Membership ticket price = Member ticket price + $35 (net price of becoming a full member).

●     Non-Member ticket price = Member ticket price + $50 (price of becoming a full member).

●     Above tickets’ Description:

○     Recommend not selecting this ticket and instead first becoming a full Member and then selecting the Member ticket and price, as it will cost you the same.

●     Event page description to include at bottom:

○     https://www.tbn.ca/joinus: TBN offers three levels of membership that are valid for 12 months: namely Student at $30, Individual at $50, and Family at $80. This trip's 30-Day-Trial and Non-Members ticket price has been set equal to the Member's ticket price plus the cost of a membership, and therefore we recommend that you become a member to get the Member ticket price. 

Also the trip should be open to club members only for an initial period, after which non-members and 30-day-trial members may apply (recommend no earlier than 30 days prior to the trip start date).

7. Right to Bar Individuals from Trips

With the approval of the Overnight Trips director, the trip leader has the right to exclude any individual whose presence on a trip is anticipated to be disruptive and in conflict with the other participants' enjoyment. Past behaviour that may be taken into account in making a decision to exclude someone will include abusive language, violence, excessive drunkenness, lecherous behaviour, or an unwillingness to sign the waiver.

Trip leaders may also decline an applicant if they are aware that the level of the trip is above the ability of the cyclist, or that their equipment is not suitable for this type of trip.

8. Trip Payments

Payment is normally made on line via the Pay Pal system, or by Interac to treasurer@tbn.ca, at the time of registration. The Overnight Trips Director, who has access to the administrative view of the web site, will send the participant registration details, including payment amount, to the trip leader on a spreadsheet on a periodic basis or on request by the trip leader.

Payments by cheque are also allowed after the participant has registered online. Cheques should be made out to “The Toronto Bicycling Network Inc.” and sent to the Treasurer at the TBN mailbox.  The Treasurer will deposit the cheque, record the payment under the individual’s name in the website database, and notify the trip leader that the money has been received.

9. Confirmations

A participant is 'booked' for a trip only when payment is actually received.

When a payment has been accepted on line, or when the Treasurer has received and deposited a cheque and updated the registrant’s record on the website, an automatic email to the participant is generated, saying that enrolment has been confirmed.

10. Waiting Lists

When a trip sells out  a waiting list will be started. The website and any other promotional material will be updated to reflect the sell-out status and to notify people that a waiting list is available. If there is a waiting list, members will be given preferential treatment when space opens up. If there are no members on the waiting list when space becomes available, then that space will go to the first non-member; that individual will not be forced to relinquish the spot at some later date when a member's name is added to the waiting list.

11. Participant Cancellations

Since trips are planned around a minimum number of participants, and TBN must book and pay for rooms in advance, there can be no automatic refund for people who cancel. If there is a waiting list, the fee may be refunded minus an administrative charge of 10% or as to be determined by the Committee as appropriate to the trip. Otherwise, if participants are unable to attend, it is up to them to sell their spot subject to the approval of the trip leader. If they are unable to find a suitable replacement they will be liable for the full cost of their participation, with no refund issued.

A partial refund may, however, be issued at the discretion of the Overnight Trips Director and committee when there are mitigating circumstances and the finances of the individual trip permit.

The trip leader is responsible for communicating the trip cancellation policy to trip participants on the registration form.

12. Trip Cancellations

The TBN Board reserves the right to cancel any trip without warning and refund monies paid by leaders or participants. If TBN cancels the trip, you are entitled to a full refund. 

13. Financial Arrangements and Trip Expense Report

Advances against anticipated expenses are available to all leaders. The club Treasurer will make payments directly to venues and suppliers wherever possible.

The leader is required to submit a final Trip Expense Report (on the form available on the TBN website) to the Overnight Trips Director ideally no later than four weeks after the event. It should include an expense report with all receipts and supporting documentation. It must indicate which costs the leader (or others) should be reimbursed for (with receipts)(that TBN hasn't already paid directly), including for their honorarium their share of the lodging costs. The Overnight Trip Director will review and approve and then forward to the Treasurer for recording and payment to the Trip Leader of expenses and honorarium owed. 

The TBN shall be liable for losses, but the Board's scrutiny should include a reasonable assessment of the participation in a given venture and may involve assurance by the leader as to the forecast number of participants. Any surpluses from advances or from the trip are the property of the TBN and are subject to the control of the Board of Directors.