Saturday, May 16, 2009

Cycle26 Rolling into Summer

Hi all,

Cycle26 has made some amazing accomplishments since...umm, March!

April saw the group make a stellar Powerpoint presentation to Toronto Cycling Advisory Committee, part of the City of Toronto's government. Our Rolling ForWard26 proposal was warmly recieved by Dan Egan, Alex Shevchuk, our own Councillor John Parker, and the committee's Chair, Councillor Adrian Heaps. Followup happened in May, where Staff came back with recommendations and action items in response to the report. Massive success on most recommendations, and accolades from fellow activists and advocates for a job well done.

May brought Cycle26 even more widespread kudos and recognition from fellow advocates Luke Siragusa, Tom Flaherty, Vincent De Tourdonnet, Vic Gedris, Tammy Thorne, Yvonne Bambrick, Margaret Hastings-James, and many others. Cycle26 is regularly referred to as "the model" for advocacy groups in Toronto. We greatly appreciate the kind words and compliments from our fellow Toronto Cyclists Union members. We are humbly proud to be named as the best example of cycling advocacy in the City.

Cycle26 then took it to the next level, and met with MP Rob Oliphant, followed by a visit to MPP Kathleen Wynne. Both the Federal and Provincial government representatives are highly supportive of Cycle26, and promise to support and work with the Group to advance our mutual goals. Economy, environment, health and wellness, and community building are important to all of us, and converge so well in cycling. Many thanks to Yanni, Afaq, Mahar, and Vanessa for enabling all these meetings and accomplishments!

The Steering Group continues to meet on a regular basis, and has planned a great list of events and activities for the summer, focusing on community engagement, promotion, and awareness. Cycle26 participated in Leaside / Bennington Heights "Spring Into Action" event at Trace Manes Park; coming up, we will have a display at CN Do The Don Trail Awareness Day on Saturday May 23; we will send riders downtown for the Group Commute Ride on Monday, May 25th; and later this summer will see signature events in Flemingdon, Thorncliffe, and the Don Valley.

Join us in celebrating success, building community, and advancing cycling in Ward 26!

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

How Time Flies!

Hi All,

Sorry for the delay in updating our blog...lots of things happening in Ward 26, and good progress being made!

Cycle26 will be at the Toronto Bike Show, March 13,14,15, 2009, at the Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place. Please find us and drop by to chat. We'll have our fantastic new flyers to hand out, and interactive bike maps on display.

We're also working on plans for projects we'd like to carry out as we grow. The Steering Group has decided on 5 projects which will be planned, funded, and implemented in 2009. Stay tuned for updates.

Making connections with our community is really important to us, and every time we meet at Flemingdon Health Centre, we talk with members of the Ward 26 community to get their thoughts and feelings on cycling. We encourage discussion and conversation, and look forward to reaching more residents of Ward 26 to include them in our efforts.

Lots more to come...spring is just around the corner, and we can't wait to officially launch cycling season in Ward 26!

Cheers,
Cycle26

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Cycle 26 Meeting Regularly

Cycle 26 has met on a regular basis for a few months now, which is a significant accomplishment in itself! We're all pretty busy, so taking time out to meet for our group is a clear sign of our ongoing committment.

We have to acknowledge Louis Fliss and Flemingdon Health Centre for providing warm, comfortable, functional meeting facilities on a regular basis. Flemingdon Health Centre is a community hub in Flemingdon Park, at the east end of Ward 26. Click on the link to Flemingdon Health Centre in our "Links" menu. If you're in the neighbourhood, (and we're working on some reasons to do so!) drop in and say "hi!".

More meetings, a few events, and community get-togethers are in the works for the coming months, and we'll keep you posted on when and where they'll be happening. Or let us know in a comment if you'd like to help. Many hands make light work!

cheers,
Cycle 26

Rolling ForWard 26

Cycle 26 has produced a report titled "Rolling ForWard 26", containing analysis and recommendations for enhancing and advancing cycling infrastructure in Ward 26.

The report was submitted on November 26th, 2008, and Cycle26 subsequently met and discussed it with Daniel Egan, Manager of Pedestrian & Cycling Infrastructure; and Councillor John Parker.

This document is the first of its kind in Toronto, and a great step forward in effective cycling activism for improvements to our community.

Please click here if you'd like to request a copy of the report or if you'd like to be advised of upcoming meetings, events, gatherings where the report will be discussed.

cheers,
Cycle26