Gilbert Desjardins witnessed the genocide in Rwanda. But not the one that dominated the headlines in 1994. Instead, the artist who lives in the small Quebec town of Mont-Laurier, about an hour north of Mont Tremblant ski resort, was a young traveller in that tragedy-laden African country in the years 1965 to 1969. It was […]
Bearing witness to Africa’s climate migrants Read More »
Canada’s secondary roads are not only more peaceful and scenic to ride, but they also often lead to the serendipity that adds to the richness of our experience. We were on one such road, Maple Ridge Road, in northern Ontario, about an hour’s bicycle ride east of Thessalon (near the head of Lake Huron) when
Amish follow a humble path to a simpler way of life Read More »
Anita Young feels a lot of loyalty to the people of Wawa. And for good reason, because the people of Wawa have been there for her and her late husband, Bill, when they most needed a hand. Bill Young founded what has become Wawa’s most famous landmark, Young’s General Store, way back in 1971 and
Wawa’s loyal support keeps country store going strong Read More »
There are dozens of highway memorials along the roads we have taken across Canada, fading memories to those who have died in crashes along the way. In some cases, the locations of these mishaps seem so benign, the tragedies are inexplicable. One often wonders, how could someone lose control at this place? Bicyclists are given
You can fix the road, but who can fix reckless drivers? Read More »
As we are about to set up our bicycle clinic on the legislative grounds in the heart of downtown Winnipeg, we hear a loud bang, coming from the vicinity of where Donald Street crosses the Assiniboine River. Kevin Celestino, a member of our event partner – The Wrench – quickly realizes a bicycle tire has
A bicycle clinic that started with a bang Read More »
Ross and Brenda Bond live on a small farm they bought in 1975 about an hour’s drive west of Winnipeg near the hamlet of Poplar Point. It’s an idyllic piece of tree-lined property located about a kilometre south of the highway. With all the green cover, passersby would never even know it was there. The
Warmshowers hosts have an equally warm spirit Read More »
Jeff Allport isn’t into false flattery, so when he’s asked, he tells you straight out he started his craft brewery in Nokomis, Sask., simply because it was cheap to locate there. He didn’t move there for the small-town charm, or the clever strategy of being centrally located between Regina and Saskatoon in a province underserved
Cheap rural living enables brewery dream to become a reality Read More »
You’ve seen this movie before: picture perfect day, everyone in a great mood, things going so well you want to pinch yourself. We were having the best ride of our entire tour. With the first real tailwind since we left Kelowna more than six weeks ago, we were on track to complete 140 kilometres in
Out of the blue, an army of killers on the prowl Read More »
Cyclists have good reason to be hyper-aware and cautious on the road. Transport trucks sometimes barrel past too close for comfort (think lumber trucks in B.C.); motorists can be aggressive and road shoulders can be too small to ride on. Riders can mitigate all these risks. What they can’t prepare for are the unforeseeable, fluky
A sudden, frightening crash sidelines one of our riders Read More »
There’s a leak in the roof at Riches Antiques that’s filling the bucket in the rear left corner of this old store in Rosetown, but Sandra Mathison is unperturbed. It’s hard to keep shingles on the northwest corner, she explains, because that’s where the prevailing winds come from. Today, those winds have brought in a
Antique store owner revives memories for bikepacker Read More »
