Thomas Hasan, David Juliusson, and others are now planning Heritage Bike Rides
In recent weeks Mike James — co-leader of a May 6, 2012 Long Branch Jane’s Walk — and I have met with Thomas Hasan, David Juliusson, and others regarding the planning of Heritage Bike Rides in Long Branch, New Toronto, Mimico, elsewhere in Toronto, and in Mississauga.
Please feel free to contact Thomas Hasan for further details or to offer suggestions.
Thomas Hasan: torontoheritagerides@gmail.com
To contact David Juliusson please send a message via the Preserevd Stories Contact Us page and we will forward it.
How do you share information during a bike trip? That’s a question that naturally comes to mind. A heritage bike ride is very much like a heritage walk or Jane’s Walk.
People ride from location to location. At a given meeting point along the way everybody stops, a tour leader explains a few things, a conversation typically ensues, and then the group travels to the next location where it stops again.
The next meeting of the heritage bike ride group is on May 8, 2012; please see details below.
Here’s an overview that David Juliusson shared with us on April 12, 2012
I have been thinking more of a Heritage Bike ride in Long Branch. My thought was meet at Colonel Sam Smith Park, ride to the plaque for Canada’s first air field. Finish in Marie Curtis Park or Parkview School for Colonel Smith homestead. Start with Colonel Smith, end with him too. The tour would follow Lake Promenade and the bike trail
The ride would be approximately 90 minutes. It would need 5 or 6 stops along the way where the history or natural heritage can be talked about. Where would you suggest?
At a later date a second tour would begin at Marie Curtis Park and go through Alderwood. Irene Jones is providing information she used for a walking tour of the area. Begin with the effects of Hurricane Hazel on Etobicoke Creek area. Ride north along the trail by the creek. Natural and historical heritage work well together. Back through the neighbourhood. Why are there so many World War 1 names in the area? Why it a separated enclave etc. Where would you suggest we stop?
I like the idea of beginning with Long Branch because it is already researched. It just needs adapting to a bicycling format along an already existing bike route. It would also be good to have in place as one more tool for the Heritage District designation. I believe there is enough interest in our area that we could get lots of people to come out
We will be meeting on May 8, 2012 at LAMP [Community Health Centre, 185 Fifth Street, Etobicoke] to discuss the heritage bike rides. It will be at 7:00 pm in Room 302. Thomas Hasan is taking the lead on these tours and would like eventually to develop heritage rides all through Toronto. The Bike Union and Heritage Toronto are interested. Ideally the first ride in our ward will be June 2 as part of Bike Month.
Think up any other routes/ tours we could do.
Anna (Twitter handle @annamarina) writes:
I love this idea and would love to help in whatever capacity I can.
This sounds similar to Tweed Ride. I participated in that last year. It was a group bike ride and about 200 people dressed in tweed or other vintage wear, rode along, had tea in a park and raised money for charity. The organizers may have some guidance to provide – or could help cross promote our rides with theirs. They did great promotion and their participants are likely our audience too.
Cheers,
Anna
@annamarina
It’s great to know of the Tweed Ride, Anna. I look forward to learning of the experiences of other bike ride groups.
I’m also keen about cross-promotion!