There IS an app for everything!

Want to help increase funding to Cycling infrastructure in Toronto? There's an app for that now!

Download the Toronto Cycling App for Android or iPhone

Basically- city infrastructure budgets are usually allocated with hard facts. If we get more facts about who cycles and where in Toronto, we can get more money spent on it! Tracking your daily bike trips can help provide the City with the hard data it needs to allocate bigger budgets!  You choose when you want to track what rides, which is great for privacy and battery saving.

The city even built-in surveys to this app to get all kinds of feedback on cycling preferences. Right now Toronto is going through a very painful growth-spurt, this is the time to speak up if you want your say on how Toronto will operate as we move forward into a Ford-Free city!

If you know roadies or trail riders who zip along the water trail or hammer in the Don Valley, send it to them too. Then data will be collected, and that info could go to improving trail systems and increasing the importance of providing cycling routes for fitness in Toronto. Also, wouldn't it be nice to not have to share the route with roadies when you're taking a stroll or running errands, and vice-versa when you want to get your sweat on while you stretch your bike legs?

Hmmmm... maybe we can even do something like a massive bike ride up and down Jarvis Street with everyone tracking their data? Wouldn't it be fun if so much info was collected on that street they HAD to put back in the bike lanes on Jarvis, forever? I miss those bike lanes when I go to my Dad's place, they were useful for following the Deadly Nightshade's #1 rule: DON'T DIE.  

1Love
xo MegO! xo

LADIES ARMY 6 IN TORONTO

3, 2, 1 POLO. The ONLY all women's/trans tournament in the world is coming to Toronto June 20th -22nd, 2014 at Dufferin Grove Park. Come out and support the very best lady slayers from all over the globe. Bike Polo Toronto put out this awesome little ALL CANADIANA teaser and is currently looking for your SUPPORT ( click to see awesome fundraiser ) to make this the best tournament possible.

This Week's Rad Event Round Up

Here are some of the coolest bike events in North America the internet had to offer. From Halloween races, memorial workshops, commuting with your co-workers to being proud to be plaid, there is a never ending supply of fun to be had for those who love bicycles and the people that ride them!


Cogzilla is throwing down a Blackcat Alleycat in Atlanta, Georgia on October 25th



On the flip-side of 'Murica in LA, Red 5 Yellow 7 is curating Ghost Bikes of LA



October 27th, you can put on your best and go on the Ottawa Plaid Parade



October 28th,Vancouver wants you to get your co-workers to commute with you all week



Cycle Toronto is throwing down a Ghost Bike Lane ride on October 29th

Yvonne Bambrick Launches her Urban Photography Bike Wheels!

Don't live in Toronto? No worries, now you can own art from one of this city's greatest cycling champion. Yvonne Bambrick just launched her Unique Bicycle Art Etsy account, where you can purchase one of her unique art pieces that combine her amazing photography with bike wheels for a one-of-a-kind statement piece for your house. There are only five left right now, jump on it!



Now it's time to play everyone's favourite game, Spot the Nightshade! Earlier this year I posed for Yvonne, and wound up on the cover of the City of Toronto Bike Map. They for some reason photoshoped bad bangs onto me, but hey- it's still kinda cool to be a cover girl.


(Easy & breezy.)

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.

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,

Introducing Pigeons & Thread

DNS's Big Red (aka Cat Essiambre) and the amazing and talented Kelly Henderson have made their relationship official.

Pigeons & Thread is a labour of love, sprung from the combined years of experience in various fashion production and styling capacities. Cat and Kelly are garment engineers, and have been making ideas come to life for such clients as Thomas Balint, Sartoria, Model Citizen, Paper People Clothing, and more. The studio is located in the heart of China Town, in one of Toronto's last remaining apparel production buildings.

If you have a fashion idea that needs production expertise to take flight, you'll want to contact Pigeons & Thread ASAP.

Bicyclette Boutique: Ode to Toronto, Fashion and Summer Loving

Bicyclette Boutique may not have too much to do with bicycles, but they are a fabulous little boutique on Queen West, owned and operated by a fellow Ryerson Alumni Paige Boersma. The boutique is a great place to pick up independent designer goodies, some of which are made in Canada.

I just fell in love with this video. While the human love story is super cheesy, I saw took it as a love story of Toronto. This city is magical in many ways, and extra magic in the summer.




Bicyclette Boutique Presents 90 DAYS from Bicyclette Boutique on Vimeo.


Toronto, I love you.

Good news: The Pan Am Path in Toronto!

"Combining the power of culture and sport to create a living path across Toronto."

 Woot Woot! Smart cities take money from events such as the Olympics and Pan Am games, and use it to benefit and create long-lasting public infrastructure projects. I'm glad that Toronto has managed to secure this amazing path, which will unite Toronto with public space, art, sports, and nature! Landmark projects such as this help to push forward longer, more involved public infrastructure. The 2010 Olympics left Vancouver with the very well used, awesome Canada Sky Train line, which takes travellers to and from the Vancouver Downtown core in only 20 minutes for $3.75. At last year's VeloCity in Vancouver, I learned that the amazing and iconic Sea Wall was key in creating public interest and demand for better cycling infrastructure in the community. Looking forward to seeing the long-term benefits of the Pan Am Path!

DNS on FASHION website for #Lifecycles2013

Big Red made the cover of this article in Fashion online article on Hermann & Aubrey's Lifecycle's celebration taking place from the 7th to the 9th of June. Thora, Snow White and Fierce Bambi are also featured... of course.

 

We'll be there on June 7th between 7-11 to see the release of Danielle Dasilva's video of 5 Nightshades in pure Ganger Styles in Toronto, along with the DNS portrait series she has produced over the past month. 

WoOt WoOt! Check check it out here.

It's almost like it's Bike Fashion Week in Toronto

Woah. This week there are many stylish things going on if you love your bike and looking good on it.


First up is Lifecycles by Herman and Aburey, this June 7-9th. DNS will be featured in a photo series by emerging photographer Danielle Da Silva.








Then we have fellow Ryerson Alumni Kristi Woo of Riyoko Urban Bike Wear coming to Toronto From Calgary to sell her rad line of Cycling Apparel at Curbside Cycles.



Brooks Saddles is swinging on by Toronto to run a pop-up shop, the Dashing Show, at Bikes on Wheels on June 8th.

Ride the Ravines with Evergreen Canada!

MegO! here. I've been a bit absent as of late on the blog, mainly because I have been working hard on my new sweet job at Evergreen Canada, coordinating Ride the Ravines! Now if you don't know... now you know! I'm LOVING my new job in the beautiful Toronto Don Valley, so check it out and show some love! :)


Evergreen is a national environmental organization that connects people with nature for the benefit of both. For the past 20 years, Evergreen has been engaging Canadians in greening projects in communities across the country. In Toronto, Evergreen has transformed the historic Don Valley Brick Works factory from a deteriorating collection of buildings into a thriving and truly unique environmental community centre in the heart of the Toronto ravine system. 

 

Ride the Ravines is a family-friendly charity bike ride on June 16th, where riders can experience Toronto’s hidden valley system like never before! The ride gives families, urban recreational riders and nature enthusiasts a chance to pedal 12km or 25km through the Don Valley ravine system and Toronto beaches. The route begins and ends at Evergreen Brick Works and is led by Evergreen staff and volunteers.

 

The funds raised from Ride the Ravines goes towards our Active Living Programming and like our Community Bike Hubs. This is our incredibly special program that works in various low-income communities across Toronto, getting kids learning and riding bikes, while providing a healthy food program and mentorship, along with entrepreneurial and activist skills. 

Remember how the Deadly Nightshades were interviewed by NOW magazine? Well, the awesome Now online editor John then interviewed my supervisor, Shah. Check it out! You'll feel great, I promise.

Ride On Part Four - Advocacy (Evergreen Bike Works) from NOW Magazine on Vimeo.

 

The Deadly Nightshade - Daniel Lanois

 

In 2006, while I was waitressing in the summers between university semesters, Daniel Lanois was a regular of mine at a fine French Toronto establishment. We had many famous and rich clientele, so talking about work with a guest was considered tres gauche. Someone had erroneously told me that he was a store owner, and I simply didn't think twice to question it. When I once asked him about his sheet music he was working on, he said he had a studio at his house and he was recording an album with his friends. I replied that I thought his hobby was adorable, and he looked at me with a puzzled raised eyebrow. The song he was recording was apparently with U2. Be careful of who tells you what and what you think you know....

Toronto Loves The Make Den!

Fierce Bambi's baby, The Make Den, was just voted as one of the top DIY spots on BlogTo! The Make Den is in a beautiful new retail level space in Bloordale, and offers sewing lessons from begginer classes to leather crafting. Knowing how to sew is a great way to express your individuality, save money by fixing and tailoring your own garments, and mostly it is incredibly fulfiling. Making things with your hands just feels good. Speaking of feeling good, The Make Den is not just a building with classes, it's a community of creative, vibrant Toronto individuals. If you live in Toronto, and want to learn how to create or tailor your own wardrobe, then The Make Den is a must!

(Check out those seafoam walls in the photo... when you see that colour, it's a sure sign a Deadly Nightshade is afoot!)

Check out Snow White and the lovely people of Bike Polo Toronto on CTV!

This past weekend tons of bike polo players from all over the great lakes area came together for the Great Lakes Winter Classic.

You can't embed videos from CTV- but you can check it out here!

Congrats to all who came out to play! Here are the top 3 Teams from the tourney!
1st - Mallet Of Mayhem (Alexis, Robbie OTT, Chris VAN)
2nd - Who let the Dads Out (Javier BOS, Paul NYC, Jonathan PGH)
3rd - Beardsicles (Nate, Zach NYC, Nick TO)

DNS MIDNIGHT MADNESS CLOTHING SWAP!

The best clothing swaps in Toronto are curated by the Deadly Nightshades. We may all be biased in thinking this, but what other Toronto clothing swaps get featured in Blog TO, have major Toronto fashion scene characters come out and throw down walk-offs, and land you with rad items that will get you in the Huffington Post? We do!

Check out the Facebook event HERE! 

It's the greenest, funnest, most affordable way to purge your closet, get great new stuff, hang out/ have fun with your friends, and make new ones! For the first time, we are hosting the event at the still sparkling brand-new Make Den location!  (1244 Bloor Street West, two blocks east of Landsdown on the North Side. Look for an amazing Queen of Hearts window display and a Seafoam interior.) It's convenient as you can sign up to learn how to alter those amazing swap finds or rent a sewing machine if you don't have one yourself.


swap and alter all in one place , photo from the Make Den, 

The event is NOT at midnight- this swap starts at 8pm, Saturday February 23rd, and goes t'ill midnight. What a great way to avoid the bar scene! Or, since the Make Den is conveniently located in the up-and coming trendy Bloordale area, you can pop over to places like Three Speed, Bar Neon, or the Whippoorwill before or after swapping.

This time we are also going to have a fabric sale in the back! If you have left-over fabric, trims, notions or thingamabobs, for $10 you can sell your goods to a really awesome crowd. Contact us to book a table.

A reminder on swapping etiquette; All clothes, accessories and fabrics to be swapped should be in good condition, freshly washed if have been worn, with no stains. Minor tears and fixable things are okay.

See you then!

P.S. This year, left over clothes will be donated to the EHM clothing bank, one of Toronto oldest homeless shelters. So feel free to bring more then you plan on taking away. 

Free Toronto Sustainable Economy Events!

Are you familiar with the amazing Toronto Sustainability Speaker Series? If not, let me make the introductions.

"The Toronto Sustainability Speaker Series (TSSS) was launched in 2008 to dispel the myth that sustainability is a cost to business and to share the experiences of companies that have found economic advantages by integrating sustainability into their corporate strategy."

This Thursday, February 7th, 2013 there will be a free live webcast & twitterchat (#tssschat) from 5:00 – 6:30 PM EST. Author of The New Sustainability Advantage and sustainability change agent Dr. Bob Willard explores cutting edge research on an emerging “Gold Standard” to recognize a truly sustainable enterprise – an enterprise that will lead us to Capitalism 2.0. During this interactive discussion Bob will highlight:

• The global effort to define new standards, principles, indicators, and metrics for a sustainable enterprise
• Why the current rankings of the most sustainable companies are not helpful
• Why important stakeholders are anxiously awaiting a better model to assess companies
• Why companies that have already started to set Gold Standard-like goals have achieved greater profitability, resilience and cultures of innovation
• Bob’s own suggested environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria for a Gold Standard

On a personal note, I saw Bob Willard speak at the Leading Change forrum at the past GLOBE 2012. He comes from the corporate world and has navigated working with very traditional corporations and industries. Coming from the opposite spectrum of sustainable business, I learned a lot about how larger companies think, how to work with them, and what to learn from what worked and what didn't work in creating long-lasting change in large organizations. Definitely worth checking out!

Next up!

 

Sustainable Fashion - Book Launch and Paper People Clothing Giveaway

"Thursday, February 21st, join Sarah Portway (fashion academic, educator and sustainability nerd) at Fresh Collective Queen Street for the official Toronto launch of her now published Master's thesis entitled Regenerative Abundance: Fast and Sustainable Apparel Production in Toronto... Added Bonus! We'll be giving away one of the Paper People Clothing Penny Dress!"

I'm going- I hope to see you lovely sustainable Toronto fashion people there! xo

Meanwhile in Canada: Winter Biking FTW!

We present to you three big winter biking events for y'all in Toronto who miss the glorious scene of the summer, when cyclists take over the city in pure fabulousness. In winter Toronto rocks hard at winter biking, so come one, come all and lets have some fun!



Tomorrow!!! It's The Coldest Day of the Year Ride put on by Cycle Toronto! (What's with these last minute posts, right?... jezz...) Meet at 12 noon on Wed Jan 30 at Armoury St. and Chestnut St, just behind City Hall. (see map).



Toronto Icycle 2013!!!!! Wooot! It's Saturday, February 16th, 2013, and starts at 7pm at Dufferin Grove Park. (That's 875 Dufferin Street, just south of Bloor on the east side.) To explain this to outsiders, basically this is a bike race around an ice rink. In costumes. With your friend heckling. Nudity in various forms is ensured. Hilarity! It's because we Canadians embrace winter, and want to have fun all season long. If this doesn't inspire you to bike in the winter, nothing will. (Check out the 2011 National Post article on Icycle that asks Thora and Cannibal Vixen about what they do to bike in the winter.)


Big ups to Jo No for the video and pictures.


And then we have a The Great Lakes Winter Classic polo tournament going on during the Toronto International Bike Show, March 2 & 3, 2013. Keep Checking out the Bike Polo TO website for information as she comes. 



And while not an event, it's related... Our Friends at HMPL just put out a new, semi-NSFW video about enjoying "winter" biking in Vancouver. Ha. (Nice buns there Scott ;)
HMPL Winter from Matthew on Vimeo.

Ontario Cyclists- Speak up for your streets! One day to go!

Natalie Boustead, from the About Face Collective

Hey, Rob Ford may still be at Toronto City Hall, but in remembering he is only one man in a large democracy, lets all take the time to participate in this call to action by Cycle Toronto. If we can get the provincial government on board backing better cycling infrastructure, then the Fords anti-cycling slant gets CRUSHED. Let's do this- now! Deadline is Tuesday, January 29th, 2013!

On Nov 30, 2012, the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) released its Draft Cycling Strategy. It's the first provincial bike policy update in 20 years! We're encouraged to see the provincial government taking action to improve cycling infrastructure and better educate all road users.

The Draft Cycling Strategy is a response in large part to the Coroner's Review of Provincial Cycling Deaths released in June 2012. The MTO is reviewing the Coroner's recommendations and we need you to tell them how important a provincial Complete Streets policy and lowered speed limits are to you. We need a specific funding commitment with realistic and achievable timelines. We also want the MTO to focus on helmet promotion rather than mandatory helmets, create a new definition for e-bikes, adopt the one-metre rule and make sideguards mandatory for heavy trucks.

Action Alert: Tell the MTO that you want safer streets! We encourage you to:

1) Read our 22 recommendations
2) Submit feedback directly to the MTO before this Tues Jan 29

The Strategy signals a growing recognition by the Province of the role cycling plays in easing congestion, achieving daily requirements for physical activity, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing economic development opportunities. This is our opportunity to influence its development. Submit your comments before Tuesday!

Cycle Toronto’s on-going advocacy efforts aren't possible without you. Renew your membership or make a donation today to support our work.

Ride safely,

Jared Kolb

Director of Campaigns & Membership
jared.kolb@cycleto.ca

Also, if you missed it, Ontario Physicians are calling for more bike lanes, STAT. Last year I attended the Ontario Cycling Summit in Toronto, which was sponsored by many levels of government, including Health Canada. In a presentation, I was stunned as I watched a presentation on Ontario's projected healthcare costs due to sedentary lifestyle diseases such as diabetes and stroke, which are set to explode within 15 years. In a cartoon the upward red line would have broken through the page and shattered the ceiling. It's going to be not only a lifestyle epidemic, but a health care crisis due to straining of funds. So if you are trying to convince people to support cycling infrastructure, tell them Doctors and Economists are calling for this due to the very real possibility that car-culture is going to bankrupt this province by 2030. So Mr. Ford, since you claim to want to run this city like a business, I suggest you act like a CFO and do something about the fiscal future of your Province and City- now.

Blog TO - The Make Den is nominated for Best DIY Workspace in Toronto!

It's nice to get noticed!   Laura Adams from Blog TO wrote a great article about us recently and I'm happy to report that I don't sound like a complete tool in it.

Even more recently, Blog TO nominated us for "Best DIY workspace in Toronto", which we are SO honoured to even be mentioned on!!  You can vote here until Saturday.   Go vote because obviously we're buying everyone beer if we win!!

Some of the interview is below, along with a few photos.

The Make Den Sewing Studio recently relocated from within 69 Vintage Collective to a new location at 1244 Bloor Street West, providing a bright and crafty addition to Bloordale's streetscape. With its robin's egg blue walls and ruffled party dress in the window, I couldn't resist popping in one dark winter evening to learn more about what this sewing and design school has to offer.

Founded in 2010, The Make Den offers sewing and design classes, workshops, and camps for all levels: from absolute beginners (like yours truly), to intermediate students looking to sharpen their skills, to aspiring designers applying to competitive fashion programs at institutions like Ryerson University, Parsons in New York City, and Central Saint Martins in London.  The Make Den's owner, Irene Stickney, has a passion for teaching students of all levels that is infectious and heartfelt. For those pursuing sewing as a hobby--about 75% of her students--The Make Den provides an outlet to explore their creative side, which is often not fulfilled in their day jobs. Irene loves helping these students create new things, have fun, and acquire a life-long skill.

For the 25% of her students pursuing a career in fashion design, Irene aims to offer top-notch instruction on technical skills and a supportive community. "Toronto has amazing designers and they need more resources. I want to be able to support designers. I want to be able to say I've made a difference for designers." The Make Den provides these students with classes, camps, studio space, endless encouragement, and even photo shoots (by Irene) to build their portfolio. Talking about her advanced students and their creations, Irene beams with pride. "Don't forget me when you're famous!" she jokes with them...