One of the goals of BIKE MINDS is to celebrate that most people who ride bikes don’t fit the stereotype of a well-to-do downtowner riding a “fixie”, or a sporty suburbanite clad in Lycra. When we asked for your feedback in May, we heard strongly and clearly that we need to spread this message beyond downtown Toronto.
In response to this, we’re happy to announce our first of two Summer 2018 events: BIKE MINDS Whitby: Celebrating Bike Culture Beyond the Core.
Add the evening of July 31st to your calendars! This family-friendly event start at 6pm with a bike decorating station for children, followed by BIKE MINDS at 7pm. We’ll hear more of the positive and inspiring cycling-related stories you love, from some of the people who ride bikes in Whitby and the surrounding area. We’ll end the evening with an optional trip to a nearby pub to further chat bout the stories and meet the storytellers.
Given that it’s a bit father than our past events, we’re coordinating group travel to the event, with meet-ups at both Union and Whitby GO stations to get you there easily, as well as a pub meet-up afterwards. If you’re interested in attending, please contact us by email using the link below.
Click here to RSVP by email to this event!
Schedule of events at Celebration Square (Whitby Main Library, 405 Dundas Street, Whitby):
6:00PM: Come dress up your ride at the bike decorating station
6:30PM: Family bike parade
7:00PM: BIKE MINDS begins
- Intro from Michelle Kearns
- Molly the Fire Dog and Terry Von Zuben
- Grandview Kids, Bikes and Children’s Therapy
- Bob Howard, Chief Possibility Officer, United Way of Durham
- Bryan Noble, GO Transit Safety Officer
- #RideJamesRide
8:30PM: Walk to Tap and Tankard
Why Durham?
You may remember the story of Chris Potvin and his son James from Whitby, our headliners from Episode #3.
“James is a high-functioning, autistic child. He manages to work through things until sometimes the jumbled confusion takes over. His world is like a lot of puzzle pieces that he can’t always put together. School and friendships haven’t come easily for James, and he’s often told “you can’t”. So last summer, when he asked his father Chris if they could bike from Whitby to the Giver 150 Park in Ottawa, Chris decided to show him the power of ‘I can’”
Chris and James have worked to build cycling culture in their town of Whitby. This installment of BIKE MINDS will celebrate their success as well as contribute to building a larger cycling community in the town.
We’re very excited to host the first BIKE MINDS event outside of downtown Toronto. Hope to see you there!
Beyond the Automobile 