Free Sarah Harmer Concert in Toronto! #NoLine9

So, the people who brought you the blight that is the Tar Sands want to run a pipe-line right through Ontario, called Line 9. Seeing as Enbridge hasn't demonstrated they can prevent their pipes from spilling, many smart people think they shouldn't do it! (Imagine you messed up that much at your job? You'd be fired. In any other business you'd be closed down by officials or sheer lack of customers. )

 

Some of those people who would like to end the pipelines because they makes giant expensive, cancer-causing messes at the cost of tax payers are awesome Canadian musicians, like Sarah Harmer, Gord Downie, The Sadies, Hayden and Minotaurs. The ever awesome Environmental Defense is putting on a concert on October 6th at Mel Lastman Square to bring together those who support putting a halt to the Pipelines with a fun, free concert! Welcome to Rock The Line!



See you there!



Still not convinced? Check out the VICE documentary on the Tar Sands called "Toxic Alberta." See VICE founder Eddy Moretti walk around Fort McMurry drinking and chatting with everyone from the police, truck drivers, First Nations and much more. Or you can see the latest scandal from this summer- Fort McMurry Tory MLA Mike Allen was charged in connection to a prostitution ring.

Congrats the the Ovarian Psychos for reaching NYC!

If you don't know about ‪#‎psycopathbiketour‬, then look it up! Andi Xoch, Gloria Vasquez and Natalia Efe just accomplished their cross country tour and have arrived in NYC all the way from LA. Mad love and respect to these amazing womyn! Enjoy NYC and your accomplishments. We look forward to seeing what comes out of your journeys, and then what spreads from that.

Check out the vimeo they made pre-journey! Smart, passionate, and visionary.
A Psyco Path Journey from shireen alihaji on Vimeo.

My fav quote: "It's important. We need that sisterhood, and sisterhood isn't accomplished overnight."

Support via paypal by sending your love to: xochmex@gmail.com. They got some bad-news-bears last week when a cop gave them a ticket instead of a warning (womp womp) on an interstate. New York City, reach out and show your love to these formidable SiStars.


One love!

Empire Drive In

Very cool video, about a very cool concept for a movie theater. A "drive-in" movie theater made from old cars! It's kinda like cannibalism or something, but for art. Either way the documentary is dope! Maybe for VeloReel #3 something like this in Toronto will pop up.

Empire Drive In from Charlie Newland on Vimeo.

Toronto VeloReel fast approaching!

The ever amazing Nuit Blanche comes back to entertain us once again on October 5th! What better way to explore Toronto then a nighttime 12 hour art party? And there is no better way to do Nuit Blanche then on your bike with your friends, family, and frienemies. To prepare for this celebration of culture on bikes, it's best if you start out your night at the 2013 VeloReel Film Festival. For the second year in a row DNS curated an amazing line up of films-about-bikes for your eyeball pleasure. For the first year we are tagging onto Nuit Blanche to do this. For the second year, you can roll up on your bike and watch movies with your friends under the stars... It's only $5, along with being BYOB. No fancy-smansy film festival BS- just good moving pictures, good people, and bikes. Just the way we like it. COME HAVE FUN WITH US!

This year we have as a feature film the long anticipated BIKE LORDZ, a crowd-funded film about BMX trick culture in Ghana. Last year's favourite film makers from Cycle Me Home brings us their new film Feel Free. We have more movies from our beloved city and around the world, why don't you go check out the program to see how awesome it is yourself. While you're at it, why don't you share with a friend and start making plans about coordinated matching macrame pink elephant costumes?



Just the facts ma'am:
What?: Local, DIY film festival about bikes and the people who ride them.
When?; October 5th, 2013. 7pm-9pm.
Where?: The end of Fraser Ave in Liberty Village, Toronto. MAP.
How much?: $5! BYOB! Popcorn is Free!
Why?: It will be really fun, and you don't want to be sad when all your friends are talking about how awesome it was.

YNOT Cycle is looking for a new production crew member!

Hey all you bicycle-loving-sewing-superstars out there, Toronto's awesome bike bag & accessory company YNOT Cycle is looking to hire a new addition to their production crew! You could even work with a real life Nightshade... everyday! For more details click HERE, or keep reading below:

"YNOT Cycle is looking for a new production crew member!

Do you like making quality stuff with your hands while listening to endless podcasts? Do you like bikes and the people who ride them?

We are a highly efficient studio located in The Junction neighbourhood in Toronto's west end, looking to increase our output! We proudly manufacture all of our products in house, with an emphasis on quality. This is primarily a production position, but being a small outfit we pride our crew on being good & flexible multi-taskers. It is a full time position, starting immediately.

Required qualifications:

• Strong sewing & construction skills
• Experience with industrial sewing machines
• Flexibility & willingness to learn
• Good work ethic & plays nice with others
• Interest in bikes, cycling and its culture
• Awesome attitude & general radness!

To be considered a full resume & cover letter must only be sent to: jobs@ynotcycle.com"

Contribute to THE MAKE DEN's FundRazr!

It's no secret our Fierce Bambi, AKA Irene Stickney, has an amazing job working with at-risk youth at the Make Den teaching valuable sewing skills. Along with sewing skills, these awesome kids are mentored, coached and given an amazing community to grow in and develop a firm foundation of awesomeness they then take forward with them into adult hood. If you've ever wanted to help- now is the time!

The Make Den just launched it's fundraiser! They need 75K to grow the program and take it to new heights! Contribute now and feel awesome!

From studio to runway- Fierce Bambi makes fashion magic happen!

The Make Den is a small sewing studio in the west end of Toronto. We are a social enterprise which has been providing sewing classes for at-risk youth since 2010. Our students participate in an 8 week sewing class, where they learn the basics of threading up a sewing machine, sewing straight seams and then making a simple tote bag and a make-up pouch.

The results of our sewing classes are then donated to Covenant House, a youth shelter in Toronto. We have given away handbags, make-up cases and even prom dresses to deserving youth living in care.

Our students come to us from all over the GTA - some of them are living in group homes or youth shelters, some of them have been through the court system and some of them have been victims of bullying in their schools.

The Make Den provides employable skills as well as advanced fashion design instruction. Our goal is to raise money to provide our most talented students with intensive summer programming, post-secondary application support and the materials to bring their dreams to life.

Our goal is to provide positive role models as well as access to opportunities, resources, skills and materials to at-risk youth in the GTA. Here is a powerful testimonial from one of our students who was bullied from the time he was 8 years old, and still faces discrimination because of his sexuality at school today. ( You can also see some of his remarkable styling work online here as well.) 

Cupcake Ride Toronto! Come and Get It!

Our friends at the Cupcake Ride are putting on an ice-cream sandwich ride on the 21st of September here in our fair city of Toronto! The cupcake rides are a great place to get your bike and your eat on, while meeting up with other rad peeps. So go!

Date: Saturday, September 21, 2013 Time: 1:30 pm Start: The Depanneur, 1033 College St End: Moo Milk Bar, 1918 Queen St E - See more at: http://www.cupcakeride.com/blog/2013/09/announcing-ice-cream-sandwich-ride/#sthash.kwolurhq.dp

Date: Saturday, September 21, 2013 Time: 1:30 pm Start: The Depanneur, 1033 College St End: Moo Milk Bar, 1918 Queen St E - See more at: http://www.cupcakeride.com/blog/2013/09/announcing-ice-cream-sandwich-ride/#sthash.kwolurhq.dpuf

Date: Saturday, September 21, 2013 Time: 1:30 pm Start: The Depanneur, 1033 College St End: Moo Milk Bar, 1918 Queen St E - See more at: http://www.cupcakeride.com/blog/2013/09/announcing-ice-cream-sandwich-ride/#sthash.kwolurhq.dpuf

Date: Saturday, September 21, 2013 Time: 1:30 pm Start: The Depanneur, 1033 College St End: Moo Milk Bar, 1918 Queen St E - See more at: http://www.cupcakeride.com/blog/2013/09/announcing-ice-cream-sandwich-ride/#sthash.kwolurhq.dpuf

Date: Saturday, September 21, 2013 Time: 1:30 pm Start: The Depanneur, 1033 College St End: Moo Milk Bar, 1918 Queen St E - See more at: http://www.cupcakeride.com/blog/2013/09/announcing-ice-cream-sandwich-ride/#sthash.kwolurhq.dpuf

Date: Saturday, September 21, 2013 Time: 1:30 pm Start: The Depanneur, 1033 College St End: Moo Milk Bar, 1918 Queen St E - See more at: http://www.cupcakeride.com/blog/2013/09/announcing-ice-cream-sandwich-ride/#sthash.kwolurhq.dpuf

The Cupcake Ride's main organizer Hyedie recently did another local Toronto ride- the Monday Night Rehab Rides put on by Steve Carty of Herman & Aubrey. Check the rides out if you haven't already! It's good to see weeklies like that start up in Toronto. Support you local scene. Carty will be showing some of his personal work at the 2013 VeloReel on October 5th- mark your calendars!

Accident Lesson #101

Working Title: Help Toronto Cyclist Taylor Smile!

 

Accidents happen, especially in a city like Toronto where lack of proper infrastructure generates so many "accidents" they really shouldn't be called that. It undermines the weight and severity of the situation and the cost to civilians. As Aaron Naparstek puts it:

"It’s what we call it when a toddler makes a small mess." 

Taylor's "accident" is a bad reminder that despite being a positive, proactive, strong cyclist- road collisions can happen to all of us. Waking up at the hospital is terrifying, and living with scars and missing teeth is the worst, and a constant reminder of the trauma. Let's all pitch in what we can to her GoFundMe campaign and help out this lovely lady smile like this never happened.



I am sure that the best way to make Taylor smile, is to make sure you stay pro-active yourself by turning your attention to organizations like CycleTo, participating in media like Momentum Magazine and Dandy Horse, and you can participate or volunteer at local DIY centers such as Bike Pirates and Bike Sauce. Evergreen BrickWorks even has a safety and basics road skills course you can take to brush up or recruit a new Toronto cyclist with.

Love, Love, Love,